adminMercy Ngwebvu
DESPERATION to save marriage saw a Mutasa woman throwing her son into Odzi River. Loice Paunganwa (24) was sentenced to 15 years in jail by High Court judge Justice Charles Hungwe who was on circuit in Mutare. Paunganwa told the court that she had thrown her own son (from another marriage) into the river in her desperate bid to keep her husband who was threatening to leave her if she did not ‘‘do something about her bastard.’’
However, in sentencing her, Justice Hungwe did not consider this.
Instead he said: “This is a horrible case of infanticide. It is not out of desperation that you committed this crime as you are trying to convince this court. Instead, I take it that you did it out of your selfish reasons and desire to keep your new-found love. You killed a three-year-old boy who was about to start his ECD and, who knows, he might have grown up into a useful member of the society.
“There are more aggravating factors than mitigating ones. I will treat this case like any ordinary murder where an innocent life is terminated. The society abhors that behaviour and for that I hereby sentence you to 15 years imprisonment.”
In April last year, Paunganwa who stayed in Maoko Village under Chief Mutasa threw his son, Tavonga into the river after his relatives had refused to stay with him as she intended to re-marry.
Area prosecutor, Ms Jane-Rose Matsikidze told the court that when Tavonga’s father’s relatives refused to take the child, she told her cousin, Maria Nyamubarwa that she would either kill or sell Tavonga so that she would have the freedom to re-marry and move on with her life.
“Apparently Paunganwa was now staying with one Baba Kelvin who had initially said he did not mind about her child from the failed marriage. However, as time progressed, Baba Kelvin started complaining about the child and threatened to leave her if she did not do something about Tavonga,” she said.
On the day in question, the accused left her homestead for Honde Valley to visit her grandmother, Charity Paunganwa (51). She was in the company of her other children, Kelvin and Michelle together with Tavonga. When she got to Odzi River, she grabbed Tavonga and pushed him into the water and the boy was swept away,” said Ms Matsikidze.
She did this in front of her daughter, Mitchell who testified in court about the death of her half brother.
When she got to her grandmother’s homestead and was quizzed about Tavonga’s whereabouts, Loice told her that he had died two weeks earlier, but failed to explain why she had buried him without informing her as the grandmother.
Mitchelle, however, revealed everything and the grandmother made a police report which led to Loice’s arrest.
Online Reporter