Man charged with attempted murder after setting ex-girlfriend’s home on fire

In a disturbing case of domestic violence, a 43-year-old man from Dramwin farm in Selous has been brought before the Chegutu Magistrates’ Court on charges of attempted murder.

According to the National Prosecuting Authority of Zimbabwe (NPAZ), the accused, Richard Skwambula, visited the home of his ex-girlfriend on the evening of May 10, 2024, around 10 PM. The two individuals engaged in an argument over a sum of US$17, which soon escalated.

Skwambula then requested to be intimate with the complainant, but she refused. Enraged by her rejection, the accused reportedly threatened to burn down the complainant’s bedroom hut before leaving the premises.

The following day, Skwambula returned to the scene and allegedly set the complainant’s hut on fire while she was still inside, sleeping. Miraculously, the woman managed to escape the inferno unharmed.

The accused was later arrested and remanded in custody on June 3, 2024, as the authorities investigated the incident.

The National Peace and Reconciliation Commission has urged the public to find peaceful ways of resolving disputes and avoid taking the law into their own hands.

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