Chronicle Editor
Sukulwenkosi Dube-Matutu, Gwanda Correspondent
A 26-YEAR-OLD Gwanda woman has appeared in court for allegedly strangling her new born baby to death and dumping the body in a pit latrine at her neighbhour’s homestead.
Nomagugu Zikhali of Magedleni Village pleaded not guilty to infanticide when she appeared before Gwanda magistrate Miss Lerato Nyathi. She was remanded out of custody on $50 bail to a date to be advised pending further investigations.
Prosecuting, Mr Takunda Mafudze said Zikhali allegedly gave birth and killed her baby on 4 September and kept quiet about the matter until the offence was discovered by her uncle.
He told the court that on 4 September at around 3pm, Zikhali who was seven months pregnant gave birth to a baby boy while alone in a kitchen hut. She killed the baby and threw it in a Blair toilet at her neighbour’s homestead and kept quiet about the matter.
The State further alleges that a few days later her uncle realised that Zikhali’s pregnancy was gone and he questioned her but she refused to disclose what had happened. Her uncle took her to the police who also questioned her. Zikhali later revealed that she had thrown the baby in the toilet. She led the police to the toilet resulting in the recovery of the body.
In her defence, Zikhali said she had a still birth while alone and decided to throw it in a latrine after realising that the baby was already dead. She denied killing the baby.
“I would never kill my baby Your Worship. I had a still birth baby and I saw it best to dispose of the baby as it was already dead,” she said.
@DubeMatutu
Bongani Ndlovu
Online Reporter