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Sukulwenkosi Dube-Matutu, Plumtree Correspondent
A 29-YEAR-OLD Bulilima woman has been sentenced to 24 months in prison after severely beating up her nine-year-old son for eating porridge without her permission.
Tshakahha Ncube of Nopemano area will also spend five days in prison for failing to appear in court for the case to be heard.
She was supposed to appear in court on November 10 but did not turn up and a magistrate issued a warrant for her arrest.
Plumtree magistrate, Mr Taurai Manwere convicted Ncube on her own plea of guilty to ill-treating a child.
Mr Manwere told Ncube that she will first spend five days in prison for defaulting, before serving her sentence.
“You are hereby sentenced to 24 months imprisonment but six months have been suspended for the next five years. The remaining 18 months have been further suspended on condition that you perform 630 hours of community service at Nopemano Primary School.
“However you will first spend five days in jail for defaulting. You will first have a taste of prison and then choose whether you will do your community service or not because if you default then you will spend those 18 months in prison,” said Manwere.
In her defence Ncube said she failed to turn up in court because she did not have bus fare.
She said she assaulted her son to discipline him.
Prosecuting Mr Elisha Mazorodze said Ncube flew into a rage after her son ate porridge which was intended for his younger brother.
“On 28 October Ncube left her nine-year-old son alone at home around 7AM while she went to fetch firewood. On her return she noticed that the porridge that she had left in the kitchen had been eaten.
“She confronted her son who admitted that he ate the porridge as he was feeling hungry. Ncube took a stick and assaulted her son all over the body,” he said.
Mr Mazorodze said the boy sustained severe injuries all over the body as a result of the attack but did not report the matter.
A neighbour approached the village head of the area and reported the matter. The matter was then taken to the police resulting in Ncube’s arrest.
@DubeMatutu.
derick.khumalo