In a shocking incident in Gwayi, a 45-year-old man has been fined by the Hwange Magistrates’ Court after he burned his wife’s clothes and other belongings in anger over her attending church and leaving their children unattended.

The court heard that the incident occurred on March 2, 2025, around 2 PM. The man returned home to discover that his 44-year-old wife had gone to church, leaving their children alone. Furious, he took her clothes, some baby clothing, and 20 kilograms of wheat from the kitchen, piled them in the yard, and set them on fire before leaving for work.

When the wife returned home at about 4 PM, their daughter informed her of what had happened. She reported the matter to the police, resulting in her husband’s arrest. The total value of the destroyed property was estimated at USD 60.

The court sentenced the man to pay a fine of USD 100 or face three months in prison if he fails to pay. An additional one-month sentence was suspended on the condition that he restitutes the USD 60 worth of damaged property.