Father Burns Two Children to Death in Mabvuku Domestic Dispute

A 24-year-old Harare man is under police investigation for murder after allegedly setting fire to a room where his two young children were sleeping, following a domestic dispute with their mother, local media reported. The victims, aged 5 and 2, died in the blaze at Eastview Phase 10, Mabvuku, around 2:30am on Sunday. The horrific incident is the latest in a string of domestic violence cases that have shocked the nation. Police have recorded a rise in gender-based violence, with advocates calling for stronger protection measures and harsher penalties for perpetrators. The tragedy will fuel demands for urgent reforms to the domestic violence legal framework and better support for victims. Community leaders are also grappling with the trauma inflicted on the surviving family and the broader Mabvuku neighbourhood.