Whinsley Masara, Chronicle Reporter
A 78-YEAR-OLD man from Tsholotsho was burnt beyond recognition after a fire gutted a hut he was sleeping in during the early hours of Sunday.
The incident occurred at 1AM in Sikente Village under chief Tategulu.
The man’s grandson, Mihla Gumbo, said he put his grandfather, Benson Ndlovu, to bed at around 8PM on Saturday night.
He said his grandfather, who was disabled, then asked for matches saying he wanted to check for something that was moving around the room.
“Usually after I put him to bed, I blow off the candle and he sleeps but on that day, just when I was closing the door, he called me back and asked for matches saying he had heard something moving.
“I lit the candle and he said he had seen something like a cat but said I could leave the room with the candle burning,” said Mihla.
He said he was shocked to be awakened by two elderly women, both their neighbours, saying his grandfather’s hut was on fire.
One of the neighbours, Anna Ncube, said she was going to the toilet when she saw the old man’s hut ablaze.
“I quickly woke up my neighbours and we ran to Ndlovu’s home and rushed to check on Mihla while others tried to open the door.
“When they drew close to the hut, they realised that the roof had already collapsed and everything was on fire,” she said.
“He didn’t deserve to die in such a way. We all feel that perhaps it’s his disability which made him fail to save himself.
“It’s such a painful way to die.” Matabeleland North police spokesperson, Inspector Siphiwe Makonese, said:
“Yes I’ve received the report of the man who died in an inferno but I can’t immediately comment as I haven’t yet received the full details of what transpired.”