Hopeless fan of Nyau dancers jailed for killing son

NYAU DANCES have an exoticism that can be indescribably alluring.

Twenty-year-old Mike Ndlovu of Chinhoyi actually found them irresistible.

Nothing could have ever come between him and a rare performance by Nyau dancers.

However, his fetish for such performances recently earned him a three-year jail sentence.

On the fateful Christmas Day in 2021, Mike and his wife decided to celebrate by watching Nyau dancers. It must have been fun, as the couple decided to stick around until evening.

Mike’s wife, who had their two-month-old son strapped on her back, decided it was time to go home.

However, her husband, who was bingeing on his favourite alcoholic beverage and having a whale of a time, could have none of that.

Their argument quickly escalated into an altercation. Feeling disrespected, Mike struck his wife, who was, however, not in the mood to be used as a convenient punching bag.

She hit him back. A fist fight broke out.

During the melee, Mike threw a punch that missed his wife and crashed the infant, who died instantly. Mike was initially sentenced to five years in jail when he appeared before Chinhoyi High Court judge Justice Philda Muzofa on a murder charge. He was, however, convicted of culpable homicide. In her sentence, Justice Muzofa set aside two years on condition he does not commit a similar offence in the next five years.

She believes Mike’s violent tendencies needed to be nipped in the bud.

“Although this was a deflected blow, the accused, with some hindsight, could have acted responsibly and avoided this needless death. This was a case of domestic violence, where the accused assaulted his wife. It then resulted in the death of his son,” said the judge.

“At 20, the accused has schooled himself to domestic violence. A short custodial sentence will achieve both the rehabilitation and the retribution that is called for in this case.

“The accused must reconsider his ways and be a better citizen after release from prison. His violent conduct must be nipped in the bud. The degree of negligence is high.”

Mike must be thinking: “If only I’d listened to my wife!” And if only he had listened to his wife, he would be enjoying the company of this young family. But now he will be a guest of the State for the next three years.