Man brutally assaults wife, flings 2 month baby across the room

A CLEARING agent based at the Victoria Falls Border Post who has a three months suspended sentence for domestic violence hovering over his head, has gone into hiding after brutally assaulting his wife and two month-old daughter.

The whereabouts of Joseph Fombe, 30, are not known, but his younger brother Trust yesterday told The Chronicle he had fled to Beitbridge.

The savage beating last week left his daughter, Hilda, in a plaster on her left arm while the mother, Nothando Mugomba, is nursing facial wounds.

Mugomba, 29, and her daughter were admitted for a week at Victoria Falls Hospital following the assault.

The couple has two children - a two-and-a-half-year old boy and Hilda.

Mugomba said during the assault, her husband picked their daughter up by the arm and flung her across the room, fracturing her arm in the process.

She said Fombe was abusive as he always assaulted her.

"He came home drunk that night carrying a bottle of "hot stuff" (spirit) and our son Hilton asked for a soft drink.

"Instead of giving him, he started accusing me of infidelity and was shouting at me.

"He told our son that my boyfriends wouldn't be able to buy him anything and when I asked what he meant he started assaulting me saying I'd nowhere to report him," said Mugomba.

She said he hit her with fists, head butted her and also slammed her against the wall.

Mugomba, whose face was still swollen and had black spots, said she wouldn't easily forgive her hubby.

"I still feel pain on the face and neck. For days I couldn't even swallow anything as my throat was sore. He is very abusive and this isn't the first time he has beaten me up.

" I don't know why he insinuated that I was cheating on him when he is the one who comes home late everyday.

"I wonder why he wanted to kill my daughter. I won't forgive him this time. I can't beat him up, so the law should take its course and help me before he kills me.

"He's running away because last year he was warned that if he beats me up again, the suspended sentence he was given would be reinstated," said a tearful Mugomba.

Fombe, originally from Mutoko, was last year convicted of domestic violence and fined $100. An additional three months jail term was conditionally suspended for three years by Victoria Falls magistrate Sharon Rosemani.

Mugomba said Fombe would in the process of assaulting her scream to make it appear as if they were fighting.

"When he was assaulting me he would scream saying why are you beating me up to deceive our neighbours.

"The worst incident happened when he picked our daughter by the arm and flung her across the room.

"My daughter started crying uncontrollably as she broke her arm but he wasn't moved.

"I picked up the child but he continued beating us and when he realised that the child was seriously injured, he screamed as he stormed out of the room. He locked us in but I forced the door open to go to hospital.

"He begged me to lie that the child fell and got injured. He disappeared when we were told at the hospital to bring a police report.

"I went to the police on my own and at that time my face was swollen and I could hardly see while the child was in deep pain," said Mugomba.

She said Fombe sneaked into their rented house and took his clothes and children's birth certificates and disappeared.

"I don't know where he is. He took his clothes and children's birth certificates. Police came looking for him several times.

"He left his phone with his younger brother Trust," said Mugomba.

The Chronicle called Fombe's number yesterday and Trust answered.

Mugomba said she couldn't go for an X-ray because she had no money.

She is now staying with her elder sister in Mkhosana suburb before she goes to her rural home in Mberengwa.

Police were unavailable for comment yesterday but a police source said a manhunt had been launched for Fombe.