News / Local
Teenager assaults dad, sentenced to 70 hours community service
11 Dec 2014 at 08:48hrs | Views
A teenage artiste was on Tuesday convicted and sentenced to 70 hours of community service for assaulting his father who had reprimanded him for "making noise" while rehearsing a traditional dance performance at their Greenhill home in Bulawayo.
Tanaka Ndlovu (18), however, pleaded not guilty to assaulting his father, Bayisana Ndlovu (49), when he appeared before magistrate Singandu Jele at the Tredgold Courts.
The allegations were that last Friday, Ndlovu arrived at his single-room home from work at around 0800hrs and found his son ‘making noise'.
He asked his son to reduce his noise and allow him to sleep since he was at work throughout the night.
This did not go down well with the boy as he reportedly kicked his father on the neck and head.
Tanaka, who was deemed disrespectful and ungrateful by the court, was found guilty of physical abuse as defined under the Domestic Violence Act.
In his defence, the teenager told the court that he did not assault his father, but slightly kicked him by mistake while rehearsing his isitshikitsha traditional dance as was the norm.
He claimed that his father was not supportive of his artistic works that included dance, poetry and painting.
Tanaka claimed that his father was failing to provide for him, noting that he did not remember the last time the man brought a loaf of bread home.
Ndlovu told the court that earlier this year he withdrew similar charges against his son after having a change of heart.
He claimed that he was never at peace in his home as Tanaka was in the habit of playing a bucket as a drum, imitating dancers on television and reciting poems, making it impossible for him to sleep.
"This has been going on for a long time ever since he started doing arts. He screams at the top of his voice. I have never seen him performing anywhere. I don't know where he performs other than at home," explained Ndlovu.
"His disrespectfulness has gone out of hand, he calls me by all sorts of silly names like jeki or mfana. He says I am crazy and poor."
In mitigation, Tanaka, whose mother died when he was aged four, begged the court to be lenient, noting that he is waiting for his Advanced Level results and looks forward to proceeding to university next year.
Jele sentenced the boy to four months in prison and suspended two months for three years on condition he is not convicted of a crime involving domestic violence. The remaining two months were set aside on condition he performs 70 hours of community service at Ingutsheni Psychiatric Hospital from December 15 2014.
Tanaka Ndlovu (18), however, pleaded not guilty to assaulting his father, Bayisana Ndlovu (49), when he appeared before magistrate Singandu Jele at the Tredgold Courts.
The allegations were that last Friday, Ndlovu arrived at his single-room home from work at around 0800hrs and found his son ‘making noise'.
He asked his son to reduce his noise and allow him to sleep since he was at work throughout the night.
This did not go down well with the boy as he reportedly kicked his father on the neck and head.
Tanaka, who was deemed disrespectful and ungrateful by the court, was found guilty of physical abuse as defined under the Domestic Violence Act.
In his defence, the teenager told the court that he did not assault his father, but slightly kicked him by mistake while rehearsing his isitshikitsha traditional dance as was the norm.
Tanaka claimed that his father was failing to provide for him, noting that he did not remember the last time the man brought a loaf of bread home.
Ndlovu told the court that earlier this year he withdrew similar charges against his son after having a change of heart.
He claimed that he was never at peace in his home as Tanaka was in the habit of playing a bucket as a drum, imitating dancers on television and reciting poems, making it impossible for him to sleep.
"This has been going on for a long time ever since he started doing arts. He screams at the top of his voice. I have never seen him performing anywhere. I don't know where he performs other than at home," explained Ndlovu.
"His disrespectfulness has gone out of hand, he calls me by all sorts of silly names like jeki or mfana. He says I am crazy and poor."
In mitigation, Tanaka, whose mother died when he was aged four, begged the court to be lenient, noting that he is waiting for his Advanced Level results and looks forward to proceeding to university next year.
Jele sentenced the boy to four months in prison and suspended two months for three years on condition he is not convicted of a crime involving domestic violence. The remaining two months were set aside on condition he performs 70 hours of community service at Ingutsheni Psychiatric Hospital from December 15 2014.
Source - Zim Mail
