RUTENDO CHIRUME
ZAKA- Machaya villagers under Chief Nhema in Zaka were left dumbfounded following the painful death of a five year old boy on Wednesday after he was thrown into a raging fire by a mental patient.
Morgan Mashava was pronounced dead at Musiso Hospital after he was thrown inside a burning hut by Trust Masara (58) a mental patient from the same area.
Masvingo Provincial Police spokesperson, Inspector Kudakwashe Dhewa confirmed the sad news and encouraged caregivers of mentally challenged persons to always check on their whereabouts and ensure that they take their medication as instructed by doctors.
“Mental health patience should be looked after and we encourage caregivers to give medication to the patients as prescribed by the doctors,” said Dhewa.
The circumstances are that on January 30 around 9am, the deceased was playing on the yard with his two brothers aged seven and eight whilst their grandmother Sakina Nguruve was working in the nearby field.
Masara then arrived where the children were playing, went inside a thatched hut and took a burning firewood.
He came out and threatened to hurt the three children with the fire log before he went back inside the hut again.
The accused went on to lit up a heap of thatching grass which was stacked inside the kitchen hut with the log of fire he was holding.
Masara went back outside and ordered the children to enter the hut which was now burning.
The other two then managed to escape leaving Mashava behind who was captured and thrown into the fire.
The two boys alerted their grandmother who rushed home and found the deceased crying while writhing in the inferno.
She managed to put out the fire but the deceased had already sustained severe burns all over the body.
He was rushed to Manjoro Clinic where he was transferred to Musiso Hospital as his condition deemed serious.
The next day she was pronounced dead at around 3am.
