adminMichael Magoronga Midlands Correspondent
A teacher at Amaveni Primary School in Kwekwe was on Monday arraigned before the courts for shoving a Grade One pupil against a desk, resulting in her sustaining a cut on her forehead. The pupil was rushed to Kwekwe Hospital where she received several stiches on the forehead.
Mejulla Matina (51) appeared before Kwekwe magistrate Mr Tayengwa Sangster facing assault charges.
Mr Sangster remanded Matina out of custody on $50 bail.
She will be back in court on February 28 for commencement of trial.
In granting bail, Mr Sangster ordered her not to interfere with State witnesses, continue residing at her given address and report to Kwekwe Central Police Station every Friday.
Mr Sangster also advised the school headmaster to consider giving Matina a special leave so that she will not prejudice the pupil’s education or interfere with her.
The State had argued that Matina’s trial be fast-tracked in the interest of the complaint who is a minor.
“Your worship, I pray that the case be given due diligence it deserves so that we put the rights of the child first, bearing in mind that children have a tendency of forgetting easily, I, therefore pray that the case be dealt with as a matter of urgency,” said Mr Devine Chagombera on behalf of the State.
Matina’s lawyer, Mr Collen Maboka of Ruvengo, Boka and Company, argued that, she needed enough time to study the State papers and the medical report which were not made available to him.
It is the State’s case that on February 13 around 8am, the complainant failed to comply with given instructions during a Mathematics lesson.
This did not go down well with Matina who held the complainant by the ear and pushed her towards the table.
Online Reporter