Man sets stepmother on fire

A 22-year-old man from Lupane has been sentenced to 16 years in prison by the High Court of Zimbabwe circuit sitting in Hwange after being convicted of murdering his elderly stepmother.

The National Prosecuting Authority of Zimbabwe told the court that on May 17, 2025, the accused attacked the 72-year-old woman, identified as Christine Ncube, at her homestead.

Prosecutors said the man struck Ncube on the head with an axe before setting her on fire inside her kitchen hut. Evidence presented in court showed that shortly after the attack, he phoned his brother and confessed that he had assaulted Ncube and set her ablaze.

Witnesses who later arrived at the homestead found Ncube still alive inside the kitchen hut, bleeding from a head wound and suffering severe burns across her body. She was rushed to hospital but died about a month later due to complications from the injuries.

During the trial, the accused told the court the incident followed a verbal dispute after he allegedly failed to immediately assist Ncube in carrying grain to a grinding mill. He claimed the elderly woman became angry and made remarks suggesting he would continue living a life of suffering.

According to his testimony, he pulled a burning log from the fire and pretended to strike her, which he said caused her to lose balance and fall into the flames. He denied hitting her with an axe and insisted the injuries resulted from the fall into the fire.

The court, however, found the evidence presented by the prosecution sufficient to secure a conviction, resulting in the 16-year prison sentence.