Man attempts to burn neighbour's bedroom

A 22-year-old man from Famona, Inyathi, is facing serious charges after allegedly attempting to set his neighbour's bedroom on fire following a fistfight over an unknown misunderstanding.

Nqobile Nkomo appeared before Bulawayo regional magistrate Joseph Mabeza last week to answer to a charge of attempted murder. He pleaded not guilty and was remanded in custody until January 24.

In his defence, Nkomo claimed that Oscar Ncube (27) had bribed him with money not to report the incident to the police.

The court heard that the two had engaged in a fight at Inyathi business centre last year, stemming from an undisclosed misunderstanding which left Nkomo injured.

It is alleged that during the altercation, Nkomo attempted to strike Ncube with a log, but he was overpowered.

A few days later, Ncube reportedly apologized and gave Nkomo money, promising to take him to the clinic for his injuries. However, this did not sit well with Nkomo, leading to the arson attempt.

The court was informed that Nkomo tried to set Ncube's bedroom on fire while he was asleep with his wife. Ncube managed to douse the flames and discovered a diesel filter used to start the fire.

Ncube reportedly saw Nkomo running away, but an attempt to apprehend him was unsuccessful, and he was not found at his homestead.

The following day, Nkomo apologized to Ncube and admitted to the crime, leading to his arrest after the case was reported to the police.