Online Reporter
Ray Bande
Senior Reporter
A 34-year-old Chipinge man, who doubted the paternity of his two-month-old baby and viciously spanked it and the mother using a fan belt, has been arrested on attempted murder charges.
The infant has been transferred to Victoria Chitepo Provincial Hospital in a critical condition.
Tapuwa Sithole, of Mahachi village, under Chief Garahwa, in Chipinge, has since been charged with attempted murder as defined in Section 189 as read with Section 47 (1) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act (Chapter 9:23).
Sithole’s wife, Gloria Mahachi (30), reported the matter to the police, leading to his arrest.
Manicaland police spokesperson, Assistant Inspector Wiseman Chinyoka, confirmed Sithole’s arrest, referring to him as “the infant’s father and complainant’s husband”.
Assistant Inspector Chinyoka said on Tuesday, around 4pm, Sithole, who was visibly drunk, arrived home and walked directly to where the baby was sleeping on a verandah, while the mother was washing clothes about 20 meters away.
Sithole allegedly lifted the baby by the leg and walked into their bedroom.
“Sithole then took a fan belt and started assaulting the baby together with the mother, who had followed inside the house crying as she tried to take away the baby from him.
“Sithole took a knife, which was on the kitchen display cabinet, and threatened to stab the baby’s mother. The mother bolted out of the room. Sithole eventually left the helpless child lying on the floor and went away,” he said.
Assistant Inspector Chinyoka said Mahachi took the baby to St Peter’s Hospital, and a police report was made this afternoon (Wednesday) at ZRP Checheche Base.
Assistant Inspector Chinyoka said: “Police also visited the victim at the hospital, and the condition is critical with whipping marks all over the body.
“The accused was interviewed, and he indicated that he suspected his wife was cheating and that the baby was not his.”
