Marange Domestic Worker Jailed After Setting Employer’s Property on Fire Following Orange Dispute

By Staff Reporter
A 32-year-old domestic worker from Marange has been sentenced to prison after allegedly setting fire to his employer’s property following an argument over unripe oranges.

The man appeared before the Mutare Magistrates’ Court, where he was convicted of malicious damage to property. The court heard that the incident occurred on 27 June 2026 at Chindoti Village in the Marange area.

According to prosecutors, the accused became angry after his 64-year-old employer instructed him to stop eating unripe oranges from her orchard. In retaliation, he allegedly set fire to a thatched kitchen hut before moving on to a two-roomed house on the same property, which was also destroyed in the blaze.

During the incident, the man reportedly armed himself with an axe and threatened anyone who attempted to extinguish the flames or stop him. The threats prevented immediate intervention, allowing the fire to spread and consume both structures.

The blaze destroyed a range of household and farming supplies, including maize, groundnuts, round nuts, rapoko, fertiliser, cement, groceries and other stored goods. The damaged property was valued at approximately US$10,193.

The court initially imposed a 36-month prison sentence. However, 10 months were suspended on condition that the accused compensates the complainant for the full value of the property destroyed.

If he fails to pay restitution, he will serve an effective 26 months behind bars.

The case has drawn attention across the Marange community, with many residents expressing concern over how a dispute over fruit from an orchard escalated into an incident that resulted in extensive property damage and a lengthy jail term.