Man opts for jail over community service

A 31-YEAR-OLD Bulilima farm labourer opted for jail than to perform community service for severely assaulting his wife.

Jonathan Siziba was yesterday asked by Plumtree magistrate Gideon Ruvetsa whether he wanted to go to jail or for community service but he settled for the latter.

Ruvetsa then slapped him with an effective three-month jail term. The court heard that Siziba assaulted his wife Nonhlanhla Mkwebu, 43, after he found an unfamiliar pair of socks in their home at Bunovullum Farm in Figtree area.

She insisted that the socks belonged to him but Siziba accused her of inviting other men into their home during his absence.
A fight ensued and her hand was dislocated.

After that, Siziba grabbed his wife by the neck and dragged her out of the house, presenting her with an opportunity to escape in the process.

"I told him that the socks were his but he would not listen. He kept on accusing me of inviting his colleagues who work on the farm into his house during his absence.

"It is not my problem if he is too dull to remember the clothes that belong to him because the socks he was talking about belong to him. He assaulted me badly," Mkwebu said.

Prosecuting, Medica Tshuma said Siziba assaulted his wife after returning from his rural home where he had gone on leave.

"Siziba arrived at his home on 27 April about 8pm from Binga and a misunderstanding arose which resulted in him assaulting the complainant. The complainant managed to escape and informed other workers on the farm resulting in Siziba's arrest," he said.

In his defence, Siziba told the court that his wife was rude to him and he had to discipline her.