Man Accused Of Starting Mbare Fire In Court
The man who is accused of starting the Mbare fire appeared in court. The man apparently started the fire to warm himself but then lost control of it, resulting in the inferno.
The fire burned through market stalls in the night resulting in hundreds of people losing their wares and cash in the inferno.
Said the National Prosecuting Authority of Zimbabwe in statement:
Action Chakauya (35) from Mbare who is employed as a security guard at the premises opposite the Mbare Musika Retail Market appeared before the Mbare Magistrate’s Court facing charges of negligently causing serious damage to property as defined in section 141 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act Chapter 9:23.
The complainant in this matter is Mbare Musika Retailers. Allegations are that on the 8th of October 2024, the accused person was manning the premises opposite Mbare Musika Retail Market when he set a fire at one of the main entrances to the Mbare Musika Retail Market close to the precast wall outside the market to warm himself. He lost control of the fire which razed down Mbare Musika Retail Market. Police investigations led to the arrest of the accused person. The value of the destroyed property is USD5,000.000.
The accused person will be back in court on the 21st of October for bail ruling.
Following the fire, there were suggestions on social media that the fire had been deliberately started to corruptly remove the sellers from the market. There has been no evidence for this claim so far.
