IN a fit of rage, a man from Sizinda suburb in Bulawayo
allegedly beat his son to death with an iron bar for breaking a neighbour’s
window before attempting to commit suicide by drinking a pesticide.
Joseph Phiri allegedly fatally struck his son Adam, a Form
Two pupil at a city school, on Saturday and downed a pesticide when he
realised the boy was not breathing.
Phiri has since been arrested and is recovering at Mpilo
Central Hospital under police guard.
The Chronicle yesterday visited Phiri’s residence where
mourners are gathered.
However, none of the family members were at home as they
were said to have visited the suspect in hospital while others were busy with
burial arrangements.
A neighbour who spoke on condition of anonymity said Phiri
allegedly killed his son while scolding him for breaking a window pane at a
neighbour’s house.
“It’s disciplinary
action gone wrong. It’s senseless how he attacked and killed his child. We are
told that his son had broken a neighbour’s window pane resulting in the
neighbour approaching Phiri and telling him to reprimand his son. Phiri told
the neighbour that Adam had been giving him problems and vowed to fix him. He
savagely attacked his son all over his body with an iron bar, killing him in
the process,” said the neighbour.
The informant said upon realising that he had been too
heavy-handed when the boy stopped moving, Phiri drank poisonous rogor pesticide
to commit suicide.
“However, he did not die. I’m not sure who found him and
saved his life. I really do not understand why a father would beat his son
excessively with an iron bar. I know children can be a menace to us parents but
do we have to go to the extremes just to reprimand them?” asked the source.
Acting Bulawayo police spokesperson Assistant Inspector
Nomalanga Msebele could not be reached for comment. Chronicle
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