Village head found burnt beyond recognition

By Whinsley Masara

A village head from Bubi District in Matabeleland North was found last Friday morning burnt beyond recognition in his field, a day after he was last seen going to work there.

Peter Luphahla, who was the head for Lupote Village 1 in Mbembeswana and in his 70s, left his home on Thursday going to his fields, and was found dead on Friday.

Mr Andrew Matshazi, the councillor for ward 18, who is related to the late Luphahla said they discovered the village head’s body on Friday at around 1AM.

“We are all in a state of shock. We are failing to understand what happened,” said the councillor.

A villager, Mr Ambros Nkomo, said Luphahla left home on Thursday at around 11AM to clear his fields. He allegedly intended to burn some tree stumps.

“We then don’t understand what transpired leading to his death which seems to have been caused by fire as he was burnt beyond recognition,” said Nkomo.

Luphahla is the second village head to die within a week in Bubi District.

Another village head, Mr Roy Moyo (56) allegedly committed suicide by hanging after he was diagnosed with cancer.

He died a day after arriving at his rural home from Bulawayo where he was receiving treatment.

The village head allegedly hanged himself about 50 metres away from his home. Chronicle