Gweru man slapped with two life sentences for locking up children in hut, burning them alive 

The High Court sitting in Gweru has sentenced a 20-year-old man to two life terms in prison for the murder of two minors in a fire he deliberately started last year.

Abel Mativenga, of Watershed Farm, was convicted of killing Everjoy Mangena (13) and Natasha Kanyama (5) after setting alight the hut in which they were.

The court heard that on March 19, 2025, Mativenga became enraged following allegations that his parents were witches and decided to exact revenge on the two children.

He fastened the door of the bedroom hut where the girls had taken refuge using wire and then set the structure on fire using a cigarette lighter.

Mativenga reportedly watched from a distance as the hut burned. Neighbours rushed to the scene after hearing the children’s cries for help, but were unable to rescue them after the roof collapsed.

Both victims died at the scene.

In passing sentence, the court cited premeditation, deliberate entrapment and the intentional burning of the victims, imposing the maximum penalty of two life sentences.

In a statement following the ruling, the National Prosecuting Authority of Zimbabwe (NPAZ) described the crime as cruel and heinous.

“This was a cruel, premeditated act that took two young lives. The court’s sentence affirms that such violence, especially against children, will attract the harshest punishment,” NPAZ said.