Tiyani Hahlani
MASVINGO – A Runyararo West couple has been sentenced to six months in jail after being convicted on charges of severely assaulting their child who is doing grade five at Don Bosco Primary School.
Ruvarashe Chiwera (33) and Davison Mazadza (35), of 24941 Sister Pelley St, pleaded guilty to physical abuse, as defined in Section 7(1) as read with Section 7(5) of Children Act Chapter 05:06, when they appeared before Masvingo magistrate Candice Kasere.
It was the State’s case that on October 30 at around 17:00hrs this year, Chiwera who is Mazadza’s wife and stepmother to the victim, accused the child of stealing $7 before assaulting him with open hands on the face several times.
The following morning, Mazadza assaulted the child and forced him to admit the offence before letting him go to school.
When the child came back to school, Mazadza further assaulted him with a hose pipe.
On November 03, Chiwera and Mazadza took the child to the school garden where they suspected he had hidden the money.
Chiwera then clapped the child twice and went on to assault him with the stick several times all over the body and Mazadza joined him, but they were later restrained by Ishmael Temba a security guard at the school.
When they returned home, Mazadza took a whip and further assaulted the child several times all over the body until the whip became torn. She then took a hose pipe and assaulted him again, only to stop after he started bleeding.
The child was taken to Masvingo Provincial Hospital where he was medically examined and a medical report was produced in court. Teachers at the school reported the matter to the police after noticing the abuse.
Andrew Ndaramira appeared for the State.
