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Mashudu Netsianda, Senior Court Reporter
A CHEATING Gwanda High School teacher, who is serving a custodial sentence for assaulting his wife and leaving her for dead after she caught him red-handed with a girlfriend, has approached the High Court seeking bail pending appeal.
Njabulo Ndlovu (36) was caught by his wife Ms Senziwe Mafu (33) with his girlfriend at the couple’s matrimonial home in Matshetsheni area.
He went berserk and assaulted his wife leaving her lying in a pool of blood, before driving off with his mistress to Gwanda town.
Ndlovu pleaded not guilty to domestic violence but Gwanda magistrate, Miss Nomagugu Ncube, convicted him and sentenced him to 24 months in prison of which four months were conditionally suspended for five years.
Ndlovu, through his lawyers Masiye-Moyo and Associates, applied for bail pending appeal at the Bulawayo High Court.
He argued that the sentence imposed on him was excessive and induced a sense of shock considering the circumstances of the case.
Ndlovu said if given bail he would not abscond and is prepared to abide by the bail conditions in the event that his application succeeds.
The state opposed the application, saying there were no prospects of success against conviction.
Charges against Ndlovu are that on June 5 this year, at around 1PM, he left his wife at their matrimonial home at Gwanda High School staff cottages after indicating that he was going into the Central Business District for business.
Later in the day, Ms Mafu proceeded to their stand in Matshetsheni to check progress as the homestead was under construction.
She found her husband having a nice time with his mistress and Ndlovu locked his unnamed lover in the house.
A misunderstanding arose between Ndlovu and his wife as she demanded that he opens the door.
In a fit of rage, Ms Mafu picked a stone and broke a window. Ndlovu pushed his wife to the ground and hit her several times with fists on the head and bashed her against a stone and a pillar, leaving her with life threatening injuries and she was admitted for a week at Gwanda Provincial Hospital.
Ndlovu then took his girlfriend into the car and they drove off leaving his wife for dead.
A passerby spotted Ms Mafu lying unconscious and took her to hospital.
Ms Mafu suffered a permanent disability due to the assault.
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