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Leonard Ncube, Victoria Falls Reporter
AN elderly man from Binga who beat up his 67-year-old wife after suspecting that she was cheating on him has been fined $50 for physical abuse.
Efart Ngwenya (73) pleaded guilty to the charge but claimed that he assaulted his wife Mrs Grace Ngwenya because she failed to notify him about a thief he suspected had attempted to steal from their homestead in Chitete Village under Chief Sinamagonde in Lusulu.
Ngwenya has his age to thank for a non-custodial sentence.
“You are supposed to be an advisor in your area since you are an elderly person. Gone are the days when men used to assault women because a wife is not a piece of property. You are lucky because of your age and the fact that you are first offender otherwise you should have gone to jail,” said Binga resident magistrate Mrs Ailene Munamati before slapping Ngwenya with a $50 fine.
He will be jailed for 10 days if he fails to pay the fine.
In addition, Ngwenya was also sentenced to two months in jail which were wholly suspended for five years on condition of good behaviour.
Asked why he assaulted his wife, Ngwenya said he got angry because she did not inform him about a thief that had tried to steal at their homestead.
Mrs Ngwenya disputed her husband’s claims saying he beat her up because he suspected she had an affair with another man.
Prosecuting, Mr Bruce Maphosa said the assault took place sometime in June.
“The couple was asleep around 3AM when the accused asked his wife about some footprints he had seen near the cattle kraal. He got angry when the complainant told him that she hadn’t seen the footprints and beat her up with a stick on the head and hands,” said the prosecutor.
Mrs Ngwenya sustained injuries and reported the matter to police.
She was treated at St Luke’s Hospital in Lupane.
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