Online Reporter
The Herald,5 November 1998
A MAN was badly injured after his angry mother-in-law allegedly poured scalding oil on his face accusing him of ill-treating her daughter, a Harare magistrate recently heard.
The State led by Ms Eunice Maida alleges that the man who had had a domestic dispute with his wife had boiling cooking oil splashed on his face after he went to look for his wife at her parents’ home in Tafara.
The mother-in-law, Winnie Gurai Chipengo, is being charged with assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm. Harare magistrate, Mr Weston Nyamwanza, heard that last Friday around 1 am, the complainant followed his wife to her parents’ home with the intention of discussing his domestic problem with his mother-in-law.
On arrival he knocked on the door for a long time before it was eventually opened. When he took one step into the house, hot oil was poured on his face allegedly by his mother-in- law.
He suffered bad face burns and was taken to Parirenyatwa Hospital where his condition has been reported to be bad. Chipengo was remanded to November 17 on $300 bail.
In a similar case brought before Mr Nyamwanza four members of one family are being charged with assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm after they beat up their stepmother last week.
Peter, Darlington, Hector and Philemon Chiremba allegedly assaulted their stepmother after the woman had complained about lack of electricity supply to her bedroom which had been cut off.
The four allegedly dragged her out of their Mabvuku home and assaulted her with stones, planks, booted feet and fists. The stepmother suffered injuries to the head and body and has since been hospitalised.
The four accused were granted $300 bail each and remanded to November 17. Ms Maida represented the State.
