The woman would also force the minors to burn themselves
with hot molten plastic.
In passing the sentence, six months were suspended on
condition of good behaviour.
Melody Zvevanwe (33) of Chakonda Farm will therefore serve
an effective 18 months in prison.
She was convicted on both counts of ill-treatment or
neglecting young persons as defined in Section 7 (i) of the Children’s Act,
Chapter 5:06.
Mutare magistrate, Ms Rumbidzai Kabasa presided over the
matter, while public prosecutor, Ms Tafadzwa Chiwanza, represented the State.
Zvevanwe had denied both charges.
However she was convicted after a full trial due to the
overwhelming evidence that was produced in court.
The woman had been staying with her niece and nephew, aged
11 and five respectively, at Chakonda Farm because her elder sister, the
children’s mother, works and resides in South Africa.
She started staying with the children early last year.
The State heard that she always beat the two children with
a whip and a cooking stick for no reason.
On one occasion, she burnt her niece on her back, stomach
and hands with hot molten plastic before burning her nephew with the same
plastic on his tongue and right hand.
“She used to pull both children’s tongues using a pair of
pliers as punishment. She ordered them to spend the whole day working hard
without eating anything. Sometime in November, she ordered her niece to excrete
in a tin and then forced her to eat all her waste while she watched. The child
ate all her waste after she had been threatened with death.
“The matter came to light after a tip-off was made to the
police by concerned neighbours. A team of police officers and officials from
the Women Affairs and Social Development Department reacted to the tip off. It
was then found that the allegations were true,” said Ms Chiwanza.
The children were taken to Simukai Child Protection
Services for safe shelter, while Zvevanwe was subsequently arrested.
In sentencing Zvevanwe, Ms Kabasa said she deserved
incarceration as she acted in an inhumane way as evidenced by the way she
treated her sister’s minor children.
She said the sentence will go a long way in discouraging
other guardians from ill-treating minors. Manica Post
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