adminTendai Gukutikwa
A PRE-SCHOOL owner is facing culpable homicide charges after one of her pupils poured hot water on herself and died from the extensive burns.
Appearing before Mutare magistrate Mr Langton Mukwengi, Francisca Shonhiwa (50) was not asked to plead to the charges of culpable homicide as defined in Section 49 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act, Chapter 9:23.
Bail was set at $100 and he was ordered not to interfere with witnesses and to continue residing at her given address while reporting at Dangamvura Police Station every Friday. She was remanded out of custody to October 29.
Prosecuting was Ms Christine Mwenga.
Allegations were that Shonhiwa, who is the owner of Good Kids Pre-School in Dangamvura, negligently caused the death of one of her pupils, Moreblessing Mupatiki (2), after she left a pot of hot tea within reach of the minor.
“After preparing tea for the pupils at her pre-school, the accused placed the 12 litres of hot tea on the floor.
“The minor followed her in the kitchen and when Shonhiwa realised it, she instructed the minor to sit down in the room. The two-year-old minor later pulled the teapot by the handle and poured it on herself, resulting on her being severely burnt all over the body,” said Mwenga.
The girl sustained burns on the scalp, face, right upper limb, left lower limb and the interior trunk.
The minor was admitted at Mutare Provincial Hospital Intensive Care Unit where she later succumbed to the burns on October 12.
“A post-mortem was conducted by one Dr J. Mtetwa, who concluded that the death was as a result of extensive hot water burns,” said Ms Mwenga.
Online Reporter