Mom flogs daughter to death

A FURIOUS Shamva woman fatally assaulted her nine-year-old daughter for wasting the family's mealie-meal and cooking oil, which she used to play house with friends.

Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) spokesperson, Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi confirmed the sad incident, which occurred Friday.

"Police in Shamva have arrested Sinalence Kufandirori (35) in connection with a case of murder in which she hit her daughter, Ropafadzo Meki (9) with a switch, all over the body, for allegedly using mealie-meal and cooking oil to play mahumbwe (playing house) on October 3, 2023 at Maxton Farm.

"The child died on the way to a local self-proclaimed prophetic healer in the area," said the police spokesperson.

A precedence has already been set by the High Court in relation to parents who accidentally kill their children in the course of meting disciplinary action.

In March this year, a woman who flogged her son to death walked away scot-free after the High Court ruled that beating children is permissible under Zimbabwe law and cannot be classified as assault and a criminal offence.

The shocking ruling was made by High Court judge Justice Munamato Mutevedzi.

The controversial ruling was delivered in the case of murder-accused Yeukai Graham Mutero, who beat up her 12-year-old son, Desmond Kuzivakwashe Matsatsi, to death in January 2022.

Desmond was allegedly a problem child who always got into trouble with neighbours and relatives. On the fateful day, the now deceased courted his mother's ire when he joined a Nyau cult.

Mutero allegedly tied Desmond to the base of a bed with the help of her other son Ocean Mutero. They then proceeded to beat Desmond with a Mulberry stick and a fan belt all over his body as a means of disciplining him.

However, Desmond later died from injuries sustained during the beating leading to the arrest of his mother and brother.

A post-mortem concluded that "the deceased died as a result of brain damage, subarachnoid haemorrhage in the right hemisphere and head trauma."

During trial, Mutero pleaded not guilty and told the court she had no intention to kill her son, but was merely administering corporal punishment as a means of disciplining him for his wayward behaviour.

Justice Mutevedzi ruled that beating children is permissible under the law if the intention is to discipline wayward children. He went on to say Mutero cannot be blamed for her son's death because she assaulted him in the normal course of parental discipline.

The judge also added that any "reasonable parent" who believes in corporal punishment would have done the same thing. He also dismissed preferring culpable homicide charges against the killer mom.