Mashudu Mambo
AN 18-year-old man from Woodville plots in Bulawayo has appeared in court facing charges of deliberately starting a fire which destroyed his neighbour’s orchard.
Cecil Mbondo appeared before Bulawayo magistrate Busani Sibanda and pleaded guilty to the charge.
When asked by the magistrate why he committed the offence, an apologetic Mbondo said the move was not intentional as he started the fire intending to clear his land for farming before it suddenly spread and destroyed David Maphosa (64)’s orchard.
The court heard that on 13 October, at a bushy area about 400 metres away from Maphosa’s house, Mbondo started a fire which spread to Maphosa’s yard and burnt down his orchard.
Fruits worth about US$210 were destroyed and a fire assessment report was produced in court as evidence.
