News / Local
Woman dragged to court for neglecting nephews
29 Nov 2013 at 06:02hrs | Views
A 40-year-old Bulawayo woman has been hauled before the courts for abandoning her sister's children aged two and four years for two days.
It is the State's case that sometime in October, Sakhile Masuku of Kingsdale suburb left Queen Masuku, two, and Michele Masuku, four, unattended for two days while she went to town to sell vegetables.
The court further heard that Masuku left all doors of the house locked, leaving the children with no access to food or shelter for 48 hours.
It came to light after the neighbours noticed that the children stayed outdoors as late as 8pm.
When the two minors were questioned by the neighbour, they recounted how they were left for two days by their aunt without no-one taking care of them.
The two survived by scrounging for mulberry fruit from a tree near a TelOne relay station.
It is alleged that the two children were taken to a social worker Senzeni Chidziya of Kingsdale suburb and she reported the matter to the police.
The court was told that the children were refusing to go back and live with their aunt.
Magistrate Evelyn Mashavakure said the children faced unnecessary suffering which can affect them mentally and physically therefore Masuku had contravened provisions of the Children's Act Chapter 5:06.
Although Masuku understood the charges, she pleaded not guilty.
In her defence, Masuku said she left the children in care of her daughter Cleopatra who decided to go to buy food and denies neglecting the two children.
The accused person was remanded out of custody up to December 4 on free bail.
It is the State's case that sometime in October, Sakhile Masuku of Kingsdale suburb left Queen Masuku, two, and Michele Masuku, four, unattended for two days while she went to town to sell vegetables.
The court further heard that Masuku left all doors of the house locked, leaving the children with no access to food or shelter for 48 hours.
It came to light after the neighbours noticed that the children stayed outdoors as late as 8pm.
When the two minors were questioned by the neighbour, they recounted how they were left for two days by their aunt without no-one taking care of them.
The two survived by scrounging for mulberry fruit from a tree near a TelOne relay station.
The court was told that the children were refusing to go back and live with their aunt.
Magistrate Evelyn Mashavakure said the children faced unnecessary suffering which can affect them mentally and physically therefore Masuku had contravened provisions of the Children's Act Chapter 5:06.
Although Masuku understood the charges, she pleaded not guilty.
In her defence, Masuku said she left the children in care of her daughter Cleopatra who decided to go to buy food and denies neglecting the two children.
The accused person was remanded out of custody up to December 4 on free bail.
Source - dailynews
