The air in Kuwadzana, a high-density suburb in Harare, is thick with a chilling mystery. A family led by Happywell Mukwenya is being haunted by a series of unexplained fires that have left them destitute and terrified.
The ordeal began in July this year when Mukwenya moved in with her current husband, Martin Matsika, following the death of his wife.
The couple, both grieving the loss of their previous spouses, were attempting to rebuild their lives together. However, their new beginning was quickly overshadowed by a series of unsettling events.
“I started living with Martin, my current husband, at his home in Kuwadzana 5, where his wife had passed away,” Mukwenya recounts as her voice trembles slightly.
“Soon after I moved in, he lost his son, who was healthy, and his belongings were stored in a separate room.”
Days after the son’s burial, the fires began.
“We started seeing fires in the sky within the house. We couldn’t determine what kind of fire it was,” Mukwenya describes as she recalls the terrifying sight.
The fire would appear seemingly out of nowhere, engulfing clothes and other belongings. Mukwenya’s attempts to explain the phenomena to Matsika were met with disbelief.
“I told my husband about the fire we were seeing, and he said it was just in our minds and nothing to worry about,” she says.
The family’s desperate attempts to escape the fires proved futile. They fled to Kuwadzana 1, to seek refuge in a new home, but the flames followed them and left them once again with nothing but the clothes on their backs.
“I left the house with my three children, leaving my husband alone because of these fires, as we were afraid for our lives,” Mukwenya explains.
“At the new place in Kuwadzana 1, the fire followed us, burning our belongings while we were at a church seeking help. We ran from the church and were helped by others to put out the fire.”
The family’s desperate search for safety led them to their grandfather’s house, but even there, the fires found them.
“Our clothes were completely burned, leaving us with only what we were wearing. The wardrobes and beds were completely destroyed by fire. Because of this fire following us, we started wandering around seeking help,” Mukwenya says.
The family’s plight has left them in a desperate situation with nothing but the clothes on their backs. Their three children, Morgiana Munhuhwa (31) and Juliana Munhuhwa (19), and their 12-year-old sister, are in urgent need of basic necessities.
“We have nowhere to start over. We have a 12-year-old sister who should be going to school, but because of this ordeal, she has been staying home,” Morgiana Munhuhwa says.
The family is appealing for assistance from the public and desperately seeking clothes, blankets, and household items to rebuild their lives. They can be reached at 0776 953 256, 0778 108 383, or 0779 216 653.
Meanwhile, Martin Matsika, who was at work when his house burned down, remains deeply affected by the incident, particularly given the recent loss of his son.
“We have been together for two years,” Matsika says with a subdued voice.
“She came to live with me, and we were living as husband and wife. Then my son died suddenly, and we were together for three weeks. The house caught fire, and they said it started on its own. They then decided to move out.”
Matsika is still reeling from the loss of his son and the destruction of his home and is left with more questions than answers.
“I don’t know where they are living now. I hear the fire followed them and burned their belongings again. My house, number 4336 in 93 Close Kuwadzana 5, was destroyed by this mysterious fire,” he says, his.
Matsika says he is unable to comprehend the inexplicable events and finds himself caught in a web of confusion and despair.
