On 25 February 2022, she was over the moon to see her son,
whose favourite footballer is the late Diego Maradona, one of the greatest
players in the history of football, fly to South Africa to be reunited with his
father who plays for South Africa Premier Soccer League side Supersport. He is
also a Zimbabwe national team player.
Every day, she called to check on the son that she hoped
could grow to be as half as good as Maradona and she was relieved to learn that
he was getting along well not only with his father but with his stepmother,
Rose Mahachi.
However, her happiness was short-lived. Without an
explanation, her calls to Mahachi were no longer going through.
WhatsApp messages were no longer double ticking. When she
failed to get in touch with Rose, the stepmother who was surprisingly sweet to
her and her son, she knew that something was wrong.
“There was no reason for them to block me. I knew something
was wrong after I was blocked on WhatsApp and my calls were blacklisted,” said
Maritha. On 19 April, Maritha’s phone rang, on the other end of the call was
Mahachi’s grandmother.
“She said my son is sick and he is at her house in Cowdray
Park (Bulawayo). I asked her how is he in Cowdray Park because as far as I knew
he was in South Africa and she said he had been in Zimbabwe since last
Thursday. I lost it and asked how come I was not informed that he had been
returned, after all I am his mother.
“I told the grandmother that I was going to come collect him the next day. But she insisted that I drop everything and come see my son. That made me realise that something was wrong with my son. I was panicking, so I called a relative and we went together to Cowdray Park. I found my son sleeping and heavily bandaged on the head and I thought it was not that bad.
When I removed the blanket that was covering him, because I
wanted to carry him in my arms, I was shocked to find him with burns all over
the body,” said an emotional Maritha.
The boy’s burns were third-degree and required immediate
medical treatment. But to Maritha’s shock and horror, the grandmother told her
that she had been treating the child herself. His wounds had pus and his
rotting skin was falling off and emitting a putrid odour.
Her mental anguish was worsened when she learnt that her
son, who had been burnt in South Africa, had not only to contend with the
unbearable pains of his burns, but had to endure 863 kilometres on the road,
unaccompanied by a medical nurse or a relative to look after him.
Mahachi and Rose had somehow found a greedy malayitsha
(cross border transporter) who was prepared to smuggle the severely burnt child
to Zimbabwe. The boy did not receive any medical attention in South Africa.
“The journey from Johannesburg to Bulawayo is about 10
hours and he was alone. What kind of father does that to his son? Mahachi has
money and he can afford to have his son treated in South Africa. I took my son
to a private surgery and they quickly called an ambulance that took him to
Mpilo Hospital. The doctor said taking him to hospital using any other car was
not appropriate, but his father put him in a Quantum bus.
The child is receiving treatment at Mpilo Central Hospital
How cruel can one be?
“I have seen the lies circulating on social media. I didn’t
burn my son. If I was at fault I would be in jail right now, but I am here in
hospital day and night looking after my son. I am his mother and I live for my
kids. What will I benefit from burning my son?” Maritha asked.
But how did the child get burnt?
“My son is four years old but he is not stupid and he has
been talking. He says his father was abusing him. One of his front teeth is
missing after his father hit him with some kind of iron bar and he has an
injury on the forehead. His back is scourged from being whipped with a phone
charger cable by his stepmother. But that is nothing compared to what his
father did to him. He told me that his father beat him and then boiled water using
a kettle and poured it on him.
“Who does that to their own child? We all punish our
children when they do wrong, but to burn him with water is extremely evil. What
did he hope to achieve? For years, he has been calling me a bad mother and
people believed him, now people know the truth. It is unfortunate that the
truth has come out this way. My son is now disabled because of his father. He
will never walk again,” she said as her voice broke.
Doctors had to amputate the child’s right foot from the
ankle as the foot had been injured beyond repair. His left foot was also
severely burnt but doctors managed to salvage it.
Maritha said: “He has been going for skin grafting, the
doctors are doing all they can to help him. He was rotting away and had they
not told me, he could have died in Cowdray Park. Mahachi’s sisters are paying
his medical bills and I have heard that he is now not in good books with them
because they are also hurt by what happened.
“He has not called me ever since this happened. He does not
check on his child. He does not care and he is not bothered. I understand that
he does not want anything to do with me, but this is not about me. This is
about his son.”
Police have interviewed Maritha and told her the case was
being handled by the International Criminal Police Organisation, commonly known
as Interpol.
Interpol is expected to carry out the investigations
“The police came and took a statement, but they told me
that since he was burnt in South Africa, the case falls under the jurisdiction
of Interpol. They also said they cannot interview my son because he is still in
severe pain. They will interview him later when his pain has subsided.
“I don’t want anything to do with Mahachi. He is my history
and not my present and future. So I don’t understand why he is telling anyone who
cares to listen that I want his money and that I am out to get him. All I want
is justice for my son,” said Maritha.
In a telephone interview, an angry Mahachi vehemently
denied that he burnt his son.
“I am the father of the child and I am not aware that he is
burnt. As far as I know I sent him to Zimbabwe in one piece. Don’t listen to
lies. There is nothing like that. My son is okay. My son was not burnt. If he
was burnt then he was burnt in Zimbabwe, not here in South Africa. Go ahead and
write your lies, already I see your stories on social media,” said Mahachi.
Rose also denied that the child was hurt in South Africa.
“My brother, people hate us. We don’t know why and we don’t
know what we did to them,” she said before Mahachi took the phone from her.
Two people, using United Kingdom numbers, later texted this
reporter on WhatsApp, laying all the blame on Maritha.
“Kuda is dealing with a bitter ex. Let me take you back,
are you aware this lady was impregnated by a malayitsha while she was married
to Kuda? That’s why they divorced, she has been busy trying to destroy Kuda, we
all know. As a man my brother dealing with a bitter ex… maybe you will
understand, you will feel sorry for Kuda, the guy is going through a lot and
they have been refused access to the child.
“Be careful of destroying someone’s career without proof of
V11. Dig deeper before all this things, you don’t want to tarnish someone’s
name. So do you believe the child was burnt by Kuda?
“Do you understand Kuda’s son is in hospital and do you
even know how he feels and you people are adding salt to his wound? Imagine you
..your child is in hospital and you are being accused that you are the one.
Kuda is saying he is not aware (that the child was burnt and is in hospital)
because he was denied access to the child and when the child left to Zim he was
okay so he can’t answer you,” said Mahachi’s sympathiser on condition of
anonymity.
The sympathiser claimed that Maritha was using the child to
spite Mahachi.
“Do you even know she was blackmailing Kuda for 2,5 million
Rands in SA, saying Kuda broke her hand when they fought because of cheating.
When the courts said she should go for medical reports, she dropped the
charges.
Before we proceed, for the kid’s sake, I want to highlight
to you of the person who we dealing with. She is a psycho, she is using the
child’s medical condition to get to Kuda.
This is the child’s condition, does it mean that this child
was abused? I saw someone on social media advertising stc 30 (medication) but
because it’s Kuda, a soccer player he has burnt his child. The boy was
confessing to the maid the day he was going back to Zimbabwe that he didn’t
want to go back. Brother, I got a lot, I am giving you highlights.”
The second sympathiser said Mahachi should be accorded the
presumption of innocence until he is proven guilty.
“What’s the full story because we are not aware what’s going
on! We just see things on social media, different stories that don’t add up.
Because right now we are dealing with a bitter ex. Do you have the evidence?
because it’s different stories! Who told you that? I want to know what they
said to you before commenting on anything.
“That’s the day the boy went to Zimbabwe, he was OK and no
one knows what’s going on! This is the evidence I’m showing you! Right now we
don’t know where he is, we just see it on social media. My client is not
allowed to see or ask anything about the child!
“So for now we not commenting anything! Kuda is innocent
until proven guilty! Anyone who believes Kuda would do something like that is
crazy. Honestly, would you do that to your child! First It was beating, second
he was burnt, now it’s rituals. The child was not burnt when he left South
Africa as I showed you the picture.
“No, the child didn’t get burnt and he’s not aware. We
don’t know what’s going on that’s why I’m saying they need to let us take the
child for the tests. Why is she not letting us take the child for treatment if
it’s true!
Kuda Mahachi used to play for Orlando Pirates
“If you could understand from day one, Kuda has never had
peace. Everyone knows her scandals! Now she’s using the child’s condition to
destroy him. For now, I won’t comment much, the matter is with our solicitors!
We talking of someone who demanded 2 million Rands,” said the second
sympathiser after sending a picture of the child.
Nonetheless, while we wait for Interpol to carry and
conclude their investigations, what is clear and undisputed is that Maritha and
Kuda’s child will not live to play football like his hero, Diego Maradona or
even his father, who is one of Bulawayo’s top footballing talents. Sunday News
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