adminThe girl’s grandmother brought a self-styled prophet home for witch-hunting after she suspected the girl had stolen her $40.
Tichaona Machekeche (30) and the minor’s two aunts Tendai (37) and Junior Chishiri (29) pleaded guilty to assault charges when they appeared before Chitungwiza magistrate Ms Olivia Mariga recently.
Machekeche was slapped with a nine-month jail term, with three of them set aside for good behaviour.
The Chishiri sisters were sentenced to 12 months which were wholly suspended for completion of 420 hours at Tongogara Secondary School in Beatrice.
Prosecutor Luke Mutupe proved that on 3 January, the girl’s grandmother Ms Magret Mapuranga, approached Machekeche seeking spiritual revelation concerning her $40 that went missing at her place.
The self-styled prophet claimed that the girl was responsible for the theft.
The following day, Machekeche went to Ms Mapuranga’s place and on the way he met the girl’s aunts, Tendai and Junior.
Together with Ms Mapuranga they forced the 12-year-old to kneel beside a pan with hot charcoal and added cooking oil to it.
The charcoal went up in flames, resulting in the girl sustaining serious burns on the chest, neck and forehead.
The four continued pressing her down despite her cries from the pain.
The girl reported the incident, leading to the arrest of the three.
Online Reporter