WOMAN WHO ASSAULTED CHILD GETS 5-YEAR JAIL TERM

Lusaka ~ Thur, 30 Sept 2021

By Brightwell Chabusha

The Lusaka Magistrates’ Court has sentenced a 45-year-old businesswoman of Garden Chilulu to five years for assaulting her six-year-old nephew.

Magistrate Alice Walusiku found Thandi Ufwenuka guilty of assault on a child.

Ufwenuka was jointly charged with her husband Mulonda Khumalo.

The magistrate, however, acquitted Khumalo of the offence.

She said there was overwhelming evidence against Ufwenuka and she was satisfied that the accused committed the offence.

Allegations were that between March 1, 2020 and May 2020, Ufwenuka and her husband jointly and whilst acting together assaulted Kebby Kooma then aged six.

Neighbours and relatives told the court how Ufwenuka used to mistreat and beat the boy during the time he lived with him.

The boy’s father had also narrated how khumalo called him asking him to give them the boy so that they could be staying with him.

The court heard that Khumalo was even the one who sent money for transport for the boy to be taken to Lusaka from Mansa where his family was staying but when he got to Lusaka, he was subjected to a lot of beatings from his aunt Ufwenuka.

Ufwenuka used to mistreat the boy by punishing him, subjecting him to physical beatings, denying him keys to the toilet so that he could soil his pants and beat him.

The victim had sustained visible scars over his body.

It was heard that this used to happen while Khumalo was away for work.

But Ufwenuka denied assaulting the child.

Magistrate Walusiku acquitted Khumalo but convicted and sentenced Ufwenuka to five years imprisonment saying the prosecution proved its case beyond any reasonable doubt.