Man burnt to death in broken down lorry

MASVINGO - Prominent barber from Majange area in Mucheke suburb died in an inferno on Saturday night in a broken down lorry in which he was sleeping in after his landlord forced him out of the lodgings after failing to pay rent.

Priviledge Dhauramanzi (28) who was now sleeping adjacent to a house along Takazvivakira Street is suspected to have been burnt to death after the lorry caught fire caused by the cigarette he was smoking which he failed to dispose properly due to drunkenness.

Masvingo Police Spokesperson Inspector Charity Mazula confirmed the tragedy. Masvingo Mirror reported that it is suspected that Dhauramanzi who had spent the whole of Saturday drinking the popular illicit ZED spirit imported from Mozambique at Majange shopping centre went home around 11 O'clock midnight and slept in the lorry which had become his home with a lit cigarette.

At around 2am a neighbour realised that the lorry was on fire and alerted others to put out the fire not aware that there was a person inside.

After neighbours successfully put out the fire at the back part of the lorry, they then went on to check the front part of the lorry where Dhauramanzi used to sleep after another neighbour suggested that the he might be there and true to their suspicion the barber was there and burnt beyond recognition.

"We only managed to identify him by his shoes and jacket which were partially burnt otherwise the whole body was burnt beyond recognition," said a relative in an interview with The Mirror. The Fire Brigade arrived about an hour after the incident and helped in dousing the fire and retrieving the body from the lorry with the Police.

Dhauramanzi was allowed to sleep in the lorry for free at the same time guarding it because some of the parts were being stolen by thieves.

Though others are arguing that the source of the fire was a stub of the cigarette he was smoking, another neighbour said that Dhauramnzi was holding a candle before he went on to sleep.

Dhauramanzi was buried on Monday in Gutu, Musevenzo Village in Chief Mazuru area; he is survived by three year old boy.news