A 51-year-old man from Headlands, Itai Kuwawa of Village 1, Nyavhada, has been sentenced to an effective eight months in prison by the Rusape Magistrates’ Court after being convicted of malicious damage to property.
The court heard that on December 31, 2025, at around 1:45pm, Kuwawa went to his neighbour’s homestead and deliberately set fire to a grass-thatched kitchen hut while the complainant was inside.
The victim managed to escape unharmed.
In a shocking turn of events, when confronted about his actions, Kuwawa accused the complainant of practising witchcraft and went on to set fire to her grass-thatched tobacco barn.
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Neighbours who attempted to intervene were threatened and forced to retreat.
The fire caused extensive damage, with property valued at US$400 destroyed.
Kuwawa was sentenced to nine months in prison, with four months suspended on condition that he pays US$400 in restitution to the complainant.
In addition, a previously suspended three-month sentence from an earlier conviction involving the same complainant was activated, bringing the total effective prison term to eight months.
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