Man kills son (9) for under performing at school, buries body in the middle of the night

A ZAKA man killed his son, 9, as punishment for poor performance in school and buried him alone at night, a court heard yesterday.

High Court judge Justice Francis Bere heard how Nobert Bvukumbwi, 42, brutally assaulted his son and lifted him up before hitting his head against a rock. He later buried the boy in a shallow grave at night at his homestead.

Bvukumbwi pleaded not guilty to murder before Justice Bere at the High Court on circuit in Masvingo.

However, Justice Bere, sitting with assessors Elphas Gweru and Joseph Mushuku, convicted Bvukumbwi due to overwhelming evidence and sentenced him to 25 years in prison for murder with actual intent.

Said Justice Bere: "The gruesome way you killed your own son means you deserve a deterrent sentence that will send a message to would-be offenders. You showed worst cruelty by brutally assaulting your son and left him for dead. As if undeterred you proceeded and lifted him before hitting his head against a rock before letting him to die. You are a danger to society."

Prosecutors say on an unknown date but sometime in August 2010 at around 10PM, Bvukumbwi, who had been deserted by his wife following a domestic dispute, summoned the child for questioning over his poor performance at school.

The boy was doing Grade Two at the time and since his mother's departure he was staying with his father.  It is said Bvukumbwi took a whip and started beating the boy all over the body leaving him with swollen legs.  The boy cried for help but no one came to his rescue as Bvukumbwi continued assaulting him.

"He ordered the boy to be quiet but he kept crying and that angered him. In a fit of rage he (Bvukumbwi) lifted the boy up and hit his head against a rock," said Tinayeshe Matenga, prosecuting.

"The boy sustained body and head injuries as a result of the assault."

He said Bvukumbwi did not bother taking his son to hospital seeing he was badly injured and was bleeding profusely.

The boy later died from excessive bleeding after which Bvukumbwi dug a grave in his yard and buried him alone at night.

Matenga said on the following day villagers who had heard the boy screaming the previous night went to Bvukumbwi's homestead to find out what was happening. He said the villagers discovered that the boy was beaten to death and that Bvukumbwi had buried him in his yard.

A report was made to police and the boy's body was exhumed leading to his father's arrest.
A postmortem report presented in court showed that the boy died due to body and head injuries.