Stone-hearted mom abandons son (12)

 

Tendai Gukutikwa
Weekender Reporter

A DISTRESSING case of child abuse has come to light in Penhalonga, where a 12-year-old boy was left to fend for himself for three months after being abandoned by his abusive mother.

The boy was allegedly subjected to starvation and forced to endure harsh conditions, sleeping outdoors in the cold after his mother, Moreblessing Machinji (28) abandoned him.

The situation left residents reeling with anger, threatening to effect mob justice on Machinji.

When The Weekender visited the area on Tuesday, the boy had found refuge at Machinji’s former landlady, Janet Majanasi-Chimwanda’s place.

“When she realised that I had taken him in, she just left. She has abandoned the young boy. I assumed she would eventually return for him, but she never set foot here again. I have no idea where she and her boyfriend are now,” said Chimwanda.

She revealed that since the boy and his mother moved in last year, he had suffered neglect and abuse.

“Machinji has two children, but the other one stays with their father. This boy’s father is in Bulawayo, and Machinji claims he does not provide for his family.

“In January, she threw him out of the house and locked him outside. He began sleeping near a vending stall, and that is when I took him in. I could not bear the sight of him struggling. I have been caring for him ever since,” she said.

When Machinji eventually moved out, she left the boy behind without a second thought, demonstrating a disturbing lack of concern for his well-being.

“She does not love him. I had to lock him in my bedroom and feed him there. Machinji would assault and make him sleep outside when she discovered that he had been fed.”

Chimwanda’s daughter-in-law, Linda Zvinodavanhu confirmed that the child suffered emotional and psychological abuse during Machinji’s tenancy.

“Machinji would often claim her son was a thief, but the truth is, he was starving. He would steal food from their house just to eat because she would not feed him. He does not have decent clothes, and we have been providing everything for him. That is why she dumped him with us.

“She would tell him she was not his mother. Imagine hearing that from your own parent. He began harbouring thoughts of committing suicide, and that is when we took him in, and she moved out,” she said.

The boy, broken by years of neglect, now dreams of a better life with the father he does not know.

The boy, with tears in his eyes, pleaded with his father — Melusi Moyo — from Gwanda, to take him in.

“I pray that my father finds and takes me away from my mother. She is not looking after me well. I last attended school up to Grade Two at Jombe B Primary School in Honde Valley. I should be in Grade Five now, but I have missed three years of school,” said the boy, adding that his childhood was marred by neglect without an iota of mother’s love and care.

When contacted for a comment, Machinji dismissed the allegations, claiming that Chimwanda forcibly took her son.

“They took my child and turned him against me. Even when I moved out, they would not allow my child to talk to me. He would not even greet me,” she said.

Machinji admitted throwing her child out, claiming it was due to his disrespectful behaviour.

“I kicked him out because he would insult me and was disobedient. I was trying to discipline him, but they turned him against me. I was waiting for my mother to arrive from the rural area to help resolve the issue,” she said, before shifting the blame to the child’s father for not contributing to the boy’s upkeep.

“It is equally his fault,” she said.

The community condemned Machinji’s actions, calling for her to be held accountable for neglecting and abusing her child.

“This is heart-breaking. No child deserves such treatment. The authorities must intervene, and ensure that the boy receives the care, education, and protection he deserves. The mother must also face the law for abandoning and abusing her own child,” said Lucia Chihlangu, a neighbour, adding that her treatment of the child had raised suspicions among locals who often ask if the child was her biological child or she is just a guardian.