HA-MACHABA - Three families were left destitute after an unknown arsonist allegedly set their hurts alight last Friday night. The incident took place at Machaba Village.

A police spokesperson, Insp Philip Morolo, confirmed the incident. Mr Frans Kekana, a pensioner, described it is as the "night of burning hurts" and said that was a tragedy that brought misery to him and many in his position. "I lost everything that belonged to me, from clothing to furniture and valuable items."

He said he was sleeping when he was suddenly awakened by loud, hysterical calls of "fire, fire!" At that moment he opened his eyes and detected the distinctive smell of burning. To his horror he discovered that the roof of his own house was on fire. When he rushed outside, he was met by a group of people who were looking at his hut. When he cast his eyes to the adjacent huts, he saw more roofs on fire.

He said they watched helplessly and saw the rafters snap. The time was well after midnight and he stood there almost in tears when reality hit him that his earthly belongings were being turned into ashes, "I do not know where and how to get back my humble belongings, as I depend on a monthly pension for survival," he said.

Three families experienced the same situation as more huts burnt down. Church books, school uniforms, food, furniture and other valuables were lost. The arsonist torched the huts at random during his sinister burning spree.

As they failed to douse the fires, groups of villagers set out to look around in the village and its outskirts for the arsonist. They searched the village and the surrounding veld and before dawn they found a suspect in the veld.

He was submitted to a severe beating by the mob. He raised their suspicions after they found him with his shoes in his hands. They also discovered that he was from another village some distance away. His efforts to try and explain fell on deaf ears and he was thoroughly beaten.

He was saved from certain death by the arrival of the police. He told them that he had arrived the previous evening from his village in the company of his girlfriend and took a shortcut home. Along the way he met the searching mob who accosted him. After listening to his story, the police decided to take him to the police station for more questioning.

By Sunday the atmosphere in the village was still tense. Villagers were still combing the veld for the person since they were convinced that if it was not the man from the other village, someone was still hiding in the bush. The police arrived on the scene and again addressed the mob, which was intending to search the neighborhood, admonishing them to hand over any suspect encountered.