In an incident that set tongues wagging in the Makokoba suburb, a Bulawayo man set fire to his ex-lover’s residence with a petrol bomb because he could not bear to end their relationship.
The incident occurred in the early hours of yesterday, when the landlord, Mr Clifford Nyathi, was awakened by screams as his house was engulfed in flames, after the ex-lover of his tenant Mrs Sikangesile Moyo, identified only as Albert, started a fire.
Mr Nyathi told the Sunday News they suspected Albert was upset about the end of his relationship with Ms Moyo.
“This morning (Saturday) at around 4.30am to 5am, I woke up to the screams of two female tenants, a mother and her daughter. They said a fire broke out at their door and smoke covered the place. The fire was coming from outside, and when we tried to pour water to put out the fire, it got worse.” worse.
“Albert, who started the fire outside, kept pouring a certain liquid, which we believe was fuel, possibly gasoline. “We didn’t know who it was until Mrs. Moyo looked out the window and saw that it was his ex-lover,” he said.
He said that Albert used plastic materials and clothes that he took from a neighbor’s house, in addition to their clothes that were on the clothesline outside, and set them on fire at his door.
Mr Nyathi said they believe the motive behind Albert’s behavior was to try to get those in the house to respond and open the door for him.
“We didn’t open the door and that’s why he ended up throwing it right in front of the door. From what he left behind, I have evidence that it was a petrol bomb, as I picked it up from where he threw it, and it didn’t burn completely,” he said.
Mr Nyathi said the fire was successfully extinguished by neighbours, who quickly responded to the scene as the screaming continued.
Mr Nyathi said Albert had previous violent incidents with Ms Moyo, while earlier this month he vandalized his property, breaking windows and doors as well as attempting to violently attack his tenant using a machete.
“Albert has a criminal history, having been imprisoned several times, serving a five-year sentence for stealing livestock in rural areas. “We reported the matter to the police, but his whereabouts are unknown because he escaped when the neighbors intervened,” he added.
He added that he had filed a report with the police, although they could not be reached for comment. Sunday news
