Man bashes wife for delaying serving him a cup of tea

A 30-year-old Victoria Falls man assaulted his seven-month pregnant wife because she delayed in serving him a cup of tea, a court heard.

Prior Ncube, of Chinotimba Township appeared before resident magistrate Sharon Rosemani charged with physical abuse. He pleaded guilty.

"I wanted to go to work and told her to make me a cup of tea but she told me she wanted to warm her food first," he said. Rosemani reprimanded Ncube for physically abusing his wife.

"It is bad to assault somebody and it is worse to assault a woman, your pregnant wife for that matter," she said. Ncube's forgiving wife, Valentine Mpande, 22, who brought a withdrawal affidavit, could not stop the magistrate from charging her husband.

She told the court she had forgiven her husband because he was not in the habit of beating her up and that it was his first time to do so. However, Rosemani remanded Ncube in custody to Friday for sentencing.

Prosecuting, Listen Nare told how Ncube struck his wife many times on the face on Thursday last week.

"Ncube asked his wife to make tea for him on June 5 at about 8AM and she told him she was still warming her food. This did not go down well with Ncube who started slapping the complainant several times on the face." said Nare.

Mpande did not seek medical attention, the court was told.