Tiyani Hahlani
Yemurai Ngwarai (23) of House Number 2009/15 Vakai Cresent, Pangolin, Masvingo, on Wednesday appeared before Masvingo magistrate Rufaro Mangwiro accused of committing an act of domestic violence against her blind father, Richard Ngwarai.
She was charged with violating Section 3(1) (a) as read with Section 4(1) of the Domestic Violence Act Chapter 05.16, ‘physical abuse’.
She was acquitted after pleading self-defence, saying her father had bashed her head against the wall and she had therefore acted to defend herself.
It was the State’s case that on October 07 at around 19:00 hrs, Richard was in his bedroom when he heard her daughter shouting at her step-mother, Fadzai Muzenda, who was cooking in the kitchen.
Upon arriving in the kitchen, Richard tried to refrain her daughter from further insulting Muzenda but she did not stop.
Richard then decided to get hold of his daughter, whom he told to get out of the kitchen but Yemurai responded by taking boiling water which was on the stove and pouring it on his father’s chest.
Muzenda was also burnt on her left hand as she tried to defend her husband from being burnt.
A medical report was presented and it showed that Richard sustained plus or minus three percent burns from the boiling water.
Janeth Mavavi appeared for the State.
