Uncle kills niece over failure to write name correctly

ZVISHAVANE – A six‑year‑old girl from Kasvoro Village under Chief Masunda in Zvishavane has died after she was allegedly subjected to two days of severe beatings by her uncle, who was attempting to teach her how to spell her name.

Zimbabwe Republic Police Midlands spokesperson Inspector Emmanuel Mahoko said the child, Praise Tsomeka, was repeatedly assaulted with Mopane tree switches and later a rubber sjambok on 18 and 19 January 2026.

“It is alleged that on 18 January 2026 at about 17:00 hours, the suspect, Takudzwa Wellington Chimuka (28), returned from work and started teaching the now‑deceased Praise Tsomeka, his cousin’s daughter, to write her name. During the process, he was beating her repeatedly using Mopane switches whenever she failed to write her name correctly,” Mahoko said.

“On 19 January 2026, the same process happened again, and this time, when the switches broke, Chimuka sought and used a rubber sjambok. On 21 January 2026, Praise began showing signs of weakness and experiencing excruciating pain,” he added.

Mahoko said that upon noticing the child’s deteriorating condition, Chimuka and his wife took her to a prophet for prayers before eventually taking her to Zvishavane District Hospital, where she died upon admission.

Police investigations led to the arrest of Chimuka, in whose custody the child had been staying.

Mahoko urged parents and guardians to treat children humanely, warning that not every perceived wrongdoing should be met with physical punishment.