Mvuma Man Jailed Seven Years for Torching Family’s Hut in Chicken Dispute

A man from Mvuma will spend the next seven years behind bars after he set a family’s hut ablaze in retaliation over missing chickens, nearly killing a mother and her four children in the process.

The attack occurred on 17 August 2025 in Village 72, Huchu. According to the National Prosecuting Authority of Zimbabwe (NPAZ), the offender, Simbarashe Mafeta, confronted a 38-year-old woman around 8PM, accusing her of letting her dog eat his poultry.

When the woman refused to leave her hut, Mafeta resorted to violence. “The accused set the hut on fire while the complainant and her four children were inside,” the NPAZ confirmed in a statement.

The victims, children aged between five and 10, were trapped as the fire spread. Their cries for help alerted neighbours, who rushed to the scene and pulled them out just in time.

The fire destroyed household goods worth an estimated US$2,000, leaving the family homeless and destitute. Mafeta was arrested soon after and brought before the Gweru Magistrates’ Court.

He was found guilty of attempted murder and malicious damage to property. Magistrates sentenced him to nine years in prison, but two years were suspended on condition of good behaviour, leaving an effective seven-year term. Mafeta was also ordered to compensate the victim with US$2,000.

Condemning the violence, the NPAZ warned that trivial disputes should never escalate into life-threatening situations.

“A worrying number of homicide and attempted murder cases stem from minor disagreements,” the authority said. “We encourage citizens to seek mediation and peaceful avenues to resolve disputes instead of resorting to violence.”