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THE former police officer, who was convicted of all-treating his son after he assaulted him with a rope, a wire and a brick, was ordered to do community service at Mabvuku Police Station.
Judgment was delivered on Monday at the Harare Magistrates Court by magistrate Ayanda Dhlamini.
Knowell Muzenda, who pleaded guilty to the offence, was sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment and six months were suspended on condition that he doesn’t commit a similar offence in the next five years.
The remaining 12 months were suspended on condition that he performs 120 hours of community service at Mabvuku Police Station.
Last week he pleaded for a lenient sentence in mitigation stating that he was the breadwinner for his son, and his other siblings, as well as for his pregnant wife.
His wife, Sarah Mafara, who was away for a church conference in Hwedza when the incident took place, fought in his corner and pleaded for leniency.
She told the court that the couple has a good relationship with their children and this was the first time he had severely assaulted his son like this.
She told the magistrate that she believed the incident was triggered by the alcohol he had been drinking.
She also said he apologised to her and the kids and pleaded with the court to be lenient with him so that he could continue to take care of the family.
The State had argued that assaulting and ill-treating children is a serious offence and urged the court to impose a custodial sentence.
The State also said it had been established that he is a habitual perpetrator of physical abuse on his child and on this day the boy was lucky that someone recorded this incident and shared it on social media.
Some of our readers appear to be disappointed that Muzenda did not get a custodial sentence.
They feel that community service appears to give an impression that the crime he committed, in brutally assaulting his son, was a minor offence when, in fact, it was a very serious one.
They say that the judgment does not appear to send the right signals to other would-be offenders and we are likely to see a vicious cycle in which rogue fathers will keep brutally assaulting their children.
We understand their disappointment and we respect their views. But, we also appeal to them to understand that this is how the wheels of justice work.
We will never get a judgment which satisfies the interests of everyone.
We believe that a powerful message has been sent to Muzenda, and others, that such thuggish behaviour is not tolerated in today’s society.
That he spent days in custody was a powerful message to him, and others like him, that there are consequences to all this madness.
Next time, when he gets angry with any of his children, he will think twice before raising an object to beat them.
Others, who think like him, will also do the same.
Online Reporter