Man burns rival suitor's homestead

A 76-year-old Dete man who could not stomach his ex-wife being with someone else disguised himself as a woman before setting his rival suitor's homestead ablaze while the couple and their children were sleeping.

In a well calculated plan of revenge, Million Chayinda from Siyanyanga in Dete is alleged to have dressed in women's clothes to cover his tracks in case anyone noticed him before setting two huts belonging to Mr Filip Ndebele alight while he and his new wife were asleep.

However, the couple managed to escape the inferno with no injuries but could not save property worth over $300 as their bedroom and kitchen huts were razed to ashes. Chayinda divorced his wife under unclear circumstances two years ago before she went on to marry Ndebele.

This was heard when Chayinda appeared before Hwange provincial magistrate Mrs Rose Dube facing attempted murder charges. He was not asked to plead and was remanded in custody to 14 November for trial.

The court heard that on 28 October this year at about 1am Chayinda disguised himself by dressing as a woman before proceeding to Mr Ndebele's homestead where he set two huts on fire including the room in which he was sleeping with his wife.

The swift reaction by the petrified couple saved them from harm. However, they could not do anything to save their property from being reduced to ashes.

It was then through the illumination of the burning huts that neighbours who had converged on Mr Ndebele's homestead noticed a strange looking "woman" who was putting on a skirt and a head wrap standing in the field.

Upon investigations they found Chiyanda who seemed to have been rooted to his spot dressed as a woman with a box of matches in his hand. A report was made to the village head before police were alerted leading to his arrest.