Love rat, mistress flee burning hut

A CHEATING husband and his married lover were forced to flee their burning love nest after his wife set the hut on fire.

An enraged Ms Nomna Nyilika (37) from Engxungweni Village in the Mbembesi area of Matabeleland North stormed Mrs Nonzima Mniki's home at about 10pm on Sunday and tried to burn them alive.

Inside, Mrs Mniki - whose husband lives in South Africa - was romping with Mr Philani Mjoli (40), husband to Nyilika.

Mrs Mniki told Chronicle she raced out of the burning house after her daughter shouted that it was on fire.

"She (Nomna) burnt my hut saying I had snatched her husband. My daughter detected the fire first while I was asleep," Mrs Mniki told Chronicle in an interview at her homestead.

"We ran to the kitchen to get water to put out the fire but failed to control it although we managed to salvage the property. No one was injured."

Mrs Mniki, who is married to Mr Rabson Mniki who works in South Africa, would not deny that she was in love with Mr Mjoli and insisted that she was not bothered by the incident.

"I don't mind if she accuses me of that and I don't care about what happened. If I have her husband, why can't she take him away?" said Mrs Mniki, who threatened to assault Ms Nyilika if she returned to her home.

"We disciplined her with my daughters and I will beat her to death if she comes back."

Our news crew caught up with Ms Nyilika at Mbembesi Police Station who admitted that she burnt the house, saying she could not allow another woman to take away her husband.

She could face attempted murder charges.

She said: "My husband has not been at home for the past five days ejola lalumama (having an affair with this woman) and I couldn't accept it anymore.

"I've watched them doing their dirty things since 2008 and this time I wanted to punish them."

Ms Nyilika said she laid an ambush at Mrs Mniki's home at about 7.30pm and watched her husband of 20 years getting into the house at around 9pm.

"I waited until 10pm when they were asleep. I pulled some of the thatch grass, poured some diesel and lit it. Seeing the raging fire, her daughter came out from one of the huts and alerted her mother," said Ms Nyilika.

"Her mother came out nak3d and the two tried to put down the fire but failed."

Ms Nyilika said her husband remained in the hut for some minutes but could not stand the heat.

"She went into the burning hut and called him to come out and he obliged. He could not stand the sight and quietly sneaked out and disappeared into darkness. At that point, Mrs Nyilika and her daughters attacked me," she said.

Ms Nyilika said she had reported the matter to the village elders on several occasions but there has been no change. She said she was pained by the fact that her husband no longer respected her and that whenever she was away, he brings Mrs Mniki to her home.

"His behaviour is annoying. We have four children and he does not bother how they feel. I have lost my sense of worth as a woman because of this," said Ms Nyilika.

Mrs Mniki's father in-law, Mr Kholekile Mniki, who is also the village head of the area, said he was aware of the issue.

He told Chronicle: "She's my daughter-in-law and I know the issue of her infidelity. We have met her parents and Nomna's family several times but they continue doing this.

"I'm not surprised that her hut was burnt. Everyone knows she is a bad woman and that is why they did not tell me when the house was burnt. I'm tired of her because she is an embarrassment in the family. My son is aware of this issue and has not been coming home since 2010 because of that."

Mr Mniki said at some point he facilitated that her daughter-in-law be returned to her family but failed.

"I hate what is happening in my home and I'm devastated."

Mr Mjoli could not be reached.