News / Local
Abusive maid says girl (11) was wayward
09 Nov 2013 at 03:09hrs | Views
A MAID who allegedly subjected her employer's two minor children to severe torture yesterday pleaded guilty to abusing a nine-year-old boy, but denied ever maltreating the girl (11).
Martha Manomwe told Western Commonage magistrate Ms Tancy Dube that the girl was wayward as she would disappear from home, sometimes for a month.
The lad and his sister are scarred all over their bodies as a result of being beaten repeatedly with sticks by the pregnant Manomwe (25).
"I admit that I abused the boy but I did not beat up the girl. She was no longer staying at home and at some point she was away for a month. She would flee from home and go to stay with the village head," Manomwe told the court.
The magistrate told her that the boy's scars showed that he was not assaulted once as some were still a bit fresh while some had dried up.
Manomwe, of Mbonqane in Umguza District, also failed to explain the source of scars on the girl's face and neck.
She was remanded in custody to Wednesday for continuation of her trial.
The boy and the girl were once again accompanied by a teacher from their school.
Mbonqane village head Mr Thomas Mhlanga and a few other villagers attended court.
There are indications that the boy and his sister were brought to the village three years ago by their uncle identified as Mr Lunga, who is a villager at Mbonqane, after their parents neglected them in Tsholotsho.
The two children have said that they have no memory of their parents who went to South Africa and never returned.
The boy has his face, head, neck, ears and back full of scars while his sister is scarred on the face, neck and ears.
It is alleged that Manomwe was in the habit of assaulting the two children whenever they asked for anything or wanted to play with other children in the village.
The girl said she was beaten for failing to carry a 20-litre bucket of water from a nearby river.
At some point Manomwe assaulted her for allegedly stealing $5 from her and selling her school books without her knowledge.
Prosecuting, Mrs Charity Nyathi told the court that the two children arrived in school so severely traumatised on Tuesday this week that their teachers were forced to call the police.
The boy is in Grade One while the girl is in Grade Four at Mbonqane Primary School, about 30km along the Bulawayo-Solusi Road.
Yesterday, the court was still waiting for a response from social workers from the Department of Social Welfare, who will take the children into care.
There was still no communication from their parents.
Martha Manomwe told Western Commonage magistrate Ms Tancy Dube that the girl was wayward as she would disappear from home, sometimes for a month.
The lad and his sister are scarred all over their bodies as a result of being beaten repeatedly with sticks by the pregnant Manomwe (25).
"I admit that I abused the boy but I did not beat up the girl. She was no longer staying at home and at some point she was away for a month. She would flee from home and go to stay with the village head," Manomwe told the court.
The magistrate told her that the boy's scars showed that he was not assaulted once as some were still a bit fresh while some had dried up.
Manomwe, of Mbonqane in Umguza District, also failed to explain the source of scars on the girl's face and neck.
She was remanded in custody to Wednesday for continuation of her trial.
The boy and the girl were once again accompanied by a teacher from their school.
Mbonqane village head Mr Thomas Mhlanga and a few other villagers attended court.
There are indications that the boy and his sister were brought to the village three years ago by their uncle identified as Mr Lunga, who is a villager at Mbonqane, after their parents neglected them in Tsholotsho.
The two children have said that they have no memory of their parents who went to South Africa and never returned.
The boy has his face, head, neck, ears and back full of scars while his sister is scarred on the face, neck and ears.
It is alleged that Manomwe was in the habit of assaulting the two children whenever they asked for anything or wanted to play with other children in the village.
The girl said she was beaten for failing to carry a 20-litre bucket of water from a nearby river.
At some point Manomwe assaulted her for allegedly stealing $5 from her and selling her school books without her knowledge.
Prosecuting, Mrs Charity Nyathi told the court that the two children arrived in school so severely traumatised on Tuesday this week that their teachers were forced to call the police.
The boy is in Grade One while the girl is in Grade Four at Mbonqane Primary School, about 30km along the Bulawayo-Solusi Road.
Yesterday, the court was still waiting for a response from social workers from the Department of Social Welfare, who will take the children into care.
There was still no communication from their parents.
Source - Zimpapers
