A 43-YEAR-OLD man from Ascot suburb in Gweru was yesterday arrested on allegations of petrol bombing his estranged girlfriend’s room at a house in the same suburb.
According to co-tenants, at around 2am yesterday, Garikai Zvavada, a well-known gold panner in the area, arrived at a house where his girlfriend Cynthia Hlabangana stayed and ordered her to open the door accusing her of being a beneficiary of his money.
Hlabangani, who was sharing a room with her niece, Nancy Sibanda, refused to open the door, resulting in Zvavada throwing a petrol bomb through a broken window.
Gweru Provincial Hospital officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Hlabangana and Sibanda sustained serious burns and were referred to Harare.
Provincial police spokesperson, Inspector Joel Goko could not be reached for comment, but sources said Zvavada and an alleged accomplice, Itai Matyoka were detained at Mtapa Police Station.
Matyoka reportedly sped off with Zvavada in his car after the latter had allegedly committed the offence, but the two were arrested following a police chase.
When a NewsDay Weekender crew arrived at the house, where the incident took place in Ascot, neighbours were still trying to come to grips with what had happened.
Property and the room’s window, which Hlabangana used were extensively damaged, although there was not much destruction to the house after neighbours and members of the Gweru City Council fire brigade swiftly responded to douse the fire.
A co-tenant, Tizai Moffat, who lives opposite Hlabangani’s room, said he was awoken by a quarrel at around 2am.
“An argument woke me up around 2am when I heard a man ordering that the room be opened,” he said.
“The man said he had nine litres of petrol and that he was going to kill the woman for squandering his money and now wanting to dump him. The next thing, I heard a huge explosion and cries for help by the women, saying they were burning.”
Moffat said neighbours put out the fire, which was spreading to the roof, with a hose pipe before calling the fire brigade, which arrived a few minutes later.
A younger sister to the landlord, who is in charge of the house, Farai Phineas said Hlabangana and Sibanda had just moved into the house on Thursday.-AMH
