The Informer
Senior Member
- Jun 14, 2010
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4 burnt to death in a house
December 28,2010
MANZINI A heart-wrenching tragedy unfolded on Christmas day as a family was attacked by an arsonist who locked them in before setting their house on fire, killing four on the spot.
The only remaining member of the family is Sabit Alfa (33), originally from Tanzania, who is currently admitted to the Raleigh Fitkin Memorial Hospital (RFM) and has first degree burns all over the body.
The motive of the attack is believed to be a debt the family allegedly had with a Burundian man who is now the prime suspect as he reportedly made threats to them earlier.
There was charred furniture inside the one-room flat of the Alfa family.
One of the neighbours, Sabelo Dlamini, said they were celebrating and in a jolly mood when they heard a sound like a gunshot, followed by women crying for help in the night. He said they ran to see what was happening, only to find a lot of people from surrounding houses trying to help the members of the Alfa family.
It has been gathered that the suspect locked the burglar door using his own padlock. He then broke the main house window and poured a flammable liquid in, from outside. It was also gathered that he stood there and uttered words while the occupants were screaming for help.
The survivor, Alfa, who has lost his Mozambican wife and three children aged 13, four and three months, was found in a very critical condition. He is barely able to talk about what befell his family and what really transpired between himself and the alleged killer, James Peter Mwalango (22), also from Tanzania.
"It was a small misunderstanding and I did not assume it would come to this. I was in charge of a certain project, I was building a house and Mwalango would now and again come and visit but not assist me. He would always sit on the roof top and according to him I had received payment from the owner of the house I was building," Alfa said in a croaky voice.
He said there was no fixed amount of money to be paid to Mwalango. Alfa said he only promised him a small amount of money as a Christmas gift for being there for him when he was building the house.
His last words before it became too hard for him to talk were that he would chop Mwalango into pieces after he had recovered.
He also said Mwalango was from Tanzania but has a fake Identity Document from Burundi, where he was a refugee. This reporter was then asked by one of the male nurses to leave the Burn Ward of the Male Surgical Ward (RFM) after it became evident that Alfa could not talk any more due to the pain.
He reported death threats - landlady
MANZINI- The landlady where the Alfa family stayed, Thulisile Shongwe, says the head of the Alfa family had reported death threats made to him.
"Sabit told us that James (the suspect) had threatened him and said he would deal with him and his family for not paying him what was due to him. We all thought it was a joke up until 11:45pm when we heard something which sounded like a gun shot on our roof," she said.
Shongwe said when they peeped through the window they saw the one-room house engulfed in huge flames. She said she and her husband rushed outside and tried making calls to the police and fire department.
"At the same time we tried pouring water, using a hose pipe, through the window. The whole room was dark and we could hear Sabit and his wife shouting for help from the inside. The fire and emergency department had not arrived after an hour. We then asked some of the boys who were outside to drive to the place and get them," she said.
Shongwe said when they finally came, they had removed all the members of the Alfa family, who were then in a critical condition. It was gathered that the three-month old baby and four-year-old died while undergoing treatment at the Mbabane Government Hospital while the wife (32) and her 12-year-old son died at the RFM at a later stage.
...one of the children had visited for Xmas
MANZINI One of the children who died in the raging fire had just arrived at the homestead for the Christmas holidays.
The four-year-old, Celumusa, was fetched by his father from KaShali to be with them on the festive occasion. Narrating events leading to the shocking arson and murder attack, the landlady, Thulisile Shongwe, said she was surprised because Sabit Alfa and James Peter Mwalango had been enjoying their drinks the day before Christmas at Zakhele.
"James was always the quiet one and they were good friends. He never used to respond even when one was greeting him the way he would be so quiet. On Christmas eve they were both enjoying their alcoholic drinks with their friends outside, chatting and laughing," she said. Shongwe said they stayed up until about 3am, when they all left to go to their respective homes.
"On the following day, James came to Zakhele again, however, on that day Sabit said he was not going to drink because he had to go and pick up his son, Celumusa, from KaShali where he stayed with his grandmother," she said. Shongwe said Sabit came back with Celumusa and only three small bottles of beer. It was also gathered that the 12-year-old had already arrived at the Alfa house and they all stayed and celebrated Christmas.
If only I knew childs grandmother
KASHALI - Gogo Matsebula, who raised one of the deceased, Celumusa Sabit, said never liked Sabit Alfa but she forgave him for what he did to her daughter.
Gogo Matsebula said Alfa abandoned her daughter Hlobsile when she was five-months pregnant with Celumusa and never came back.
"He only resurfaced two years back when he came and looked after his son, closing all the gaps he had opened. I then understood why he left my daughter - after being beaten badly by my sons and some other people for being with Hlobsile," Gogo Matsebula, who was crying hysterically, said.
She said she raised Celumusa from when he was born until he passed away. Gogo Matsebula Celumusa was not in a good mood when his father came to pick him up on Christmas day.
"Usually, he would be all excited when his father came but on that day, he was not even laughing the way he used to when his father played and joked with him. Sabit had bought new clothes for him, which he wore when they both left for Zakhele. If only I knew, I would not have allowed him to take my grandson on that day," Gogo Matsebula said.
She said her daughter, who had just got a job in South Africa, had not been informed of her sons death. Gogo Matsebula asked the public to help her with her grandsons funeral arrangements as she had nothing. "I live from hand to mouth and even on Christmas day, I did not have anything to eat save the food brought to me by some of my neighbours," she said.
Anyone willing to help Gogo Matsebula can call 7617 9390.
Source: http://www.times.co.sz/News/24256.html
December 28,2010
MANZINI A heart-wrenching tragedy unfolded on Christmas day as a family was attacked by an arsonist who locked them in before setting their house on fire, killing four on the spot.
The only remaining member of the family is Sabit Alfa (33), originally from Tanzania, who is currently admitted to the Raleigh Fitkin Memorial Hospital (RFM) and has first degree burns all over the body.
The motive of the attack is believed to be a debt the family allegedly had with a Burundian man who is now the prime suspect as he reportedly made threats to them earlier.
There was charred furniture inside the one-room flat of the Alfa family.
One of the neighbours, Sabelo Dlamini, said they were celebrating and in a jolly mood when they heard a sound like a gunshot, followed by women crying for help in the night. He said they ran to see what was happening, only to find a lot of people from surrounding houses trying to help the members of the Alfa family.
It has been gathered that the suspect locked the burglar door using his own padlock. He then broke the main house window and poured a flammable liquid in, from outside. It was also gathered that he stood there and uttered words while the occupants were screaming for help.
The survivor, Alfa, who has lost his Mozambican wife and three children aged 13, four and three months, was found in a very critical condition. He is barely able to talk about what befell his family and what really transpired between himself and the alleged killer, James Peter Mwalango (22), also from Tanzania.
"It was a small misunderstanding and I did not assume it would come to this. I was in charge of a certain project, I was building a house and Mwalango would now and again come and visit but not assist me. He would always sit on the roof top and according to him I had received payment from the owner of the house I was building," Alfa said in a croaky voice.
He said there was no fixed amount of money to be paid to Mwalango. Alfa said he only promised him a small amount of money as a Christmas gift for being there for him when he was building the house.
His last words before it became too hard for him to talk were that he would chop Mwalango into pieces after he had recovered.
He also said Mwalango was from Tanzania but has a fake Identity Document from Burundi, where he was a refugee. This reporter was then asked by one of the male nurses to leave the Burn Ward of the Male Surgical Ward (RFM) after it became evident that Alfa could not talk any more due to the pain.
He reported death threats - landlady
MANZINI- The landlady where the Alfa family stayed, Thulisile Shongwe, says the head of the Alfa family had reported death threats made to him.
"Sabit told us that James (the suspect) had threatened him and said he would deal with him and his family for not paying him what was due to him. We all thought it was a joke up until 11:45pm when we heard something which sounded like a gun shot on our roof," she said.
Shongwe said when they peeped through the window they saw the one-room house engulfed in huge flames. She said she and her husband rushed outside and tried making calls to the police and fire department.
"At the same time we tried pouring water, using a hose pipe, through the window. The whole room was dark and we could hear Sabit and his wife shouting for help from the inside. The fire and emergency department had not arrived after an hour. We then asked some of the boys who were outside to drive to the place and get them," she said.
Shongwe said when they finally came, they had removed all the members of the Alfa family, who were then in a critical condition. It was gathered that the three-month old baby and four-year-old died while undergoing treatment at the Mbabane Government Hospital while the wife (32) and her 12-year-old son died at the RFM at a later stage.
...one of the children had visited for Xmas
MANZINI One of the children who died in the raging fire had just arrived at the homestead for the Christmas holidays.
The four-year-old, Celumusa, was fetched by his father from KaShali to be with them on the festive occasion. Narrating events leading to the shocking arson and murder attack, the landlady, Thulisile Shongwe, said she was surprised because Sabit Alfa and James Peter Mwalango had been enjoying their drinks the day before Christmas at Zakhele.
"James was always the quiet one and they were good friends. He never used to respond even when one was greeting him the way he would be so quiet. On Christmas eve they were both enjoying their alcoholic drinks with their friends outside, chatting and laughing," she said. Shongwe said they stayed up until about 3am, when they all left to go to their respective homes.
"On the following day, James came to Zakhele again, however, on that day Sabit said he was not going to drink because he had to go and pick up his son, Celumusa, from KaShali where he stayed with his grandmother," she said. Shongwe said Sabit came back with Celumusa and only three small bottles of beer. It was also gathered that the 12-year-old had already arrived at the Alfa house and they all stayed and celebrated Christmas.
If only I knew childs grandmother
KASHALI - Gogo Matsebula, who raised one of the deceased, Celumusa Sabit, said never liked Sabit Alfa but she forgave him for what he did to her daughter.
Gogo Matsebula said Alfa abandoned her daughter Hlobsile when she was five-months pregnant with Celumusa and never came back.
"He only resurfaced two years back when he came and looked after his son, closing all the gaps he had opened. I then understood why he left my daughter - after being beaten badly by my sons and some other people for being with Hlobsile," Gogo Matsebula, who was crying hysterically, said.
She said she raised Celumusa from when he was born until he passed away. Gogo Matsebula Celumusa was not in a good mood when his father came to pick him up on Christmas day.
"Usually, he would be all excited when his father came but on that day, he was not even laughing the way he used to when his father played and joked with him. Sabit had bought new clothes for him, which he wore when they both left for Zakhele. If only I knew, I would not have allowed him to take my grandson on that day," Gogo Matsebula said.
She said her daughter, who had just got a job in South Africa, had not been informed of her sons death. Gogo Matsebula asked the public to help her with her grandsons funeral arrangements as she had nothing. "I live from hand to mouth and even on Christmas day, I did not have anything to eat save the food brought to me by some of my neighbours," she said.
Anyone willing to help Gogo Matsebula can call 7617 9390.
Source: http://www.times.co.sz/News/24256.html
