TellZim Reporter
Gweru– MDC Alliance councillor will spend the next four months in prison after being found guilty of domestic violence for assaulting his wife sometime last year.
Ward 16 councillor Tawanda Magidi was initially sentenced to six months before two were however suspended on condition of good behaviour reducing the sentence to four months by magistrate Progress Murandu.
Appearing before a Gweru magistrate this week, Magidi in his defence denied the allegations saying they were meant to fix him as the complainant’s relatives were in bad books with his relatives.
The accused was charged with Physical Abuse as defined in section 3(1) (a) as read between section 4(1) of the domestic violence act chapter 5:16.
According to state papers in the hands of this publication, on December 8, 2021 at around 2100 hours, the accused person returned from work and gave the complainant who happened to be his wife (Muchaneta Venganai) some meat to cook for supper.
While the complainant was preparing food, the accused started shouting and insulting Muchaneta saying she was a bad wife who could not cook well.
The accused further went on to assault the complainant with bare hands on the cheeks. He further took a pick handle and struck the complainant on the back several times.
After the incident, the complainant however fled to her rural home in Bikita since she had been told by the accused that he no longer had affection for her and wanted to marry another wife instead.
The matter later came to light after the complainant disclosed the matter to her relatives who reported the matter to the police.
The complainant however went for a medical examination and a medical report was produced in court as exhibit.
Meanwhile from further investigations closer sources revealed that, the accused was cautioned before over acts of violence as such incidents once occurred before.
