News / National
$200 fine for self-styled undertaker
31 May 2016 at 01:42hrs | Views
A MAN from Njube suburb in Bulawayo has been fined $200 for burying the body of his day-old niece in a bush in Old Pumula suburb without a burial order or the baby's mother's consent. Jacob Gatsi, 26, (pictured) buried the infant's body with an unidentified accomplice who is still at large. Gatsi yesterday pleaded guilty to a charge of disposing a body without a burial order before Western Commonage magistrate Themba Chimiso.
"For your crime you're going to pay a fine of $200. And failure to pay is going to attract 60 days imprisonment," said Chimiso. Rebecca Samupindi, the baby's mother, gave birth to the baby girl at home early last month. The court heard that the infant died a day after birth.
"I heard the baby sneezing as we were sleeping. When she sneezed for the third time she just went silent. We checked and realised she was dead," said Clara Mashinda, the infant's grandmother. Mashinda and Samupindi then took the body to the home of the late infant's father, Isaac Gatsi.
"I called my daughter's boyfriend, Isaac Gatsi and informed him of what had transpired and he instructed us to meet him at his grandmother's house in Njube. I carried the dead baby and with my daughter we proceeded to Njube and got there at around 4.30AM," said Mashinda.
"We met up with Isaac, his mother Irene Mwanga and the grandmother. We presented to them their dead granddaughter and we left the dead child there. After going home I never heard from Isaac and his mother, neither did they call to inform me of how they buried the baby."
Prosecuting, Mufaro Mageza said on April 7 at around 4PM, Samupindi gave birth to a baby girl at home under the supervision of her mother. "On April 8 at around 2AM the baby girl passed away and Mashinda informed the father of the baby of what had happened. "They proceeded to his place of residence where the two families met and talked before the accused buried the deceased infant without a burial order in a bush in Old Pumula," said Mageza.
"For your crime you're going to pay a fine of $200. And failure to pay is going to attract 60 days imprisonment," said Chimiso. Rebecca Samupindi, the baby's mother, gave birth to the baby girl at home early last month. The court heard that the infant died a day after birth.
"I heard the baby sneezing as we were sleeping. When she sneezed for the third time she just went silent. We checked and realised she was dead," said Clara Mashinda, the infant's grandmother. Mashinda and Samupindi then took the body to the home of the late infant's father, Isaac Gatsi.
"I called my daughter's boyfriend, Isaac Gatsi and informed him of what had transpired and he instructed us to meet him at his grandmother's house in Njube. I carried the dead baby and with my daughter we proceeded to Njube and got there at around 4.30AM," said Mashinda.
"We met up with Isaac, his mother Irene Mwanga and the grandmother. We presented to them their dead granddaughter and we left the dead child there. After going home I never heard from Isaac and his mother, neither did they call to inform me of how they buried the baby."
Prosecuting, Mufaro Mageza said on April 7 at around 4PM, Samupindi gave birth to a baby girl at home under the supervision of her mother. "On April 8 at around 2AM the baby girl passed away and Mashinda informed the father of the baby of what had happened. "They proceeded to his place of residence where the two families met and talked before the accused buried the deceased infant without a burial order in a bush in Old Pumula," said Mageza.
Source - chronicle
