Girl (13) dies in labour, 'lover', father jailed

A 13-year-old girl from Masvingo Rural, who was a member of the Johane Marange Apostolic sect, has died in childbirth and was buried without the police being notified, in a case that has sparked outrage over child marriages and unsafe birthing practices.

The deceased, Esther Mugwebi, was allegedly the fourth wife of Learnmore Mahova (33), a man reported to have 30 children.

Both Mahova and Esther's father, Jeremiah Mugwebi (46), appeared before Masvingo magistrate Caroline Tafira Nyoni charged with violating the Birth and Death Registration Act. They were each sentenced to 12 months in prison, with four months suspended for five years. The remaining eight months were commuted to 280 hours of community service.

Esther died on June 5, 2025, at Bhake Village under Chief Musara, Masvingo, after experiencing complications during labour. Her unborn baby also died. She was buried three days later, on June 8, 2025, without a burial order.

Investigations revealed that when Esther failed to deliver, her womb was allegedly cut open with a razor blade in an attempt to remove the baby - a procedure that proved fatal.

The court heard that both accused claimed ignorance of the legal requirement to report sudden deaths to the police.

Magistrate Nyoni noted that both men were unemployed farmers with large families depending on them, which influenced her decision to impose community service rather than direct imprisonment.

"Giving you a custodial sentence will be unfair since you have many dependents. You have no substantial sources of income and you are both farmers. There was negligence on your part in not reporting the incident," Nyoni said.

It also emerged that Esther had epilepsy, a condition that may have further complicated her pregnancy.

The tragic case has once again brought to light the dangers of child marriage and unassisted home births, particularly in some apostolic sects where members shun formal healthcare.

Nobukhosi Moyo prosecuted.