dyton mupawaenda
Mathew Masinge
A WOMAN, who assaulted her 11-year-old son with a fan belt and murdered him, has been jailed 15 years.
Faithfully Khumalo assaulted her son after he broke the family’s television set in August last year.
She took turns to assault the boy with her husband, Fredrick Macharaga, who is yet to stand trial after he was reported to be critically ill.
After the boy broke the television set, he disappeared from home for two days.
When he returned, he owned up to his mistake and was severely assaulted all over his body with the fan belt.
It was Khumalo’s defence that she only sanctioned the assault and supplied the fan belt and it was Macharaga who assaulted the boy.
However, her defence was not consistent as she stated the child was assaulted in her presence before changing the testimony to claim she was in the bedroom while the boy was assaulted in the living room.
A witness told the court that he heard both Khumalo and Macharaga blaming each other after the boy died from the battering.
He said the two took turns to assault the boy and had devised a plan to lie that he came back home injured.
In her findings, Justice Cathrine Bachi-Mzawazi noted that Khumalo had committed the offence both directly and in common purpose with Macharaga.
“Khumalo has lost a child through her own conduct. She will live to bear the brunt of having shed human blood as well as societal stigmatisation.
“Each case stands on its own merits.
“The degree of Khumalo’s moral blameworthiness, being the parent and guardian, measured against the extent of the injuries, is at higher end.
“The accused person is sentenced to 15 years,” ruled Justice Bachi-Mzawazi.
Online Reporter