A HEARTLESS Honde Valley man (54) allegedly brutally beat up his daughter (14) who succumbed to the severe injuries days later, after accusing her of dating their neighbour’s son.
Amos Nyamangodo of Mangwanda Village under Chief Mandeya,
tried to conceal the heinous act by fast-tracking his daughter, Rufaro
Nyamangodo’s burial without a post-mortem being done on her body.
Acting Manicaland provincial police spokesperson, Assistant
Inspector Wiseman Chinyoka, confirmed the incident, saying Amos Nyamangodo was
arrested after making a report at Ruda Police Station.
“On December 23 at Mangwanda Village in Honde Valley, the
accused person severely assaulted his daughter, Rufaro Nyamangodo, accusing her
of having a love affair with a neighbour’s son. He allegedly used a mulberry
tree switch to assault Rufaro. She sustained bruises and lacerations as a
result of the assault,” said Assistant Inspector Chinyoka.
He said the following day ,Rufaro had difficulties in
walking as a result of the sustained injuries,and complained of a painful right
leg.
She was not given any medical attention and her condition
deterioratedover the next five days.
“On December 29, Rufaro’s elder brother, Tanaka Nyamangodo
woke up to check on his sister’s condition in her room, only to find out that
she had died. He informed their grandfather, Mr Edison Nyamangodo, who
subsequently phoned the accused, informing him of Rufaro’s death,” said
Assistant Inspector Chinyoka.
Assistant Inspector Chinyoka said when Amos got home, he
proceeded to Ruda Police Station to make a report.
“Police attended the scene and after examining the body,
they observed some injuries on the deceased’s buttocks and back as well as
yellowish saliva oozing from her nose. Her body was taken to Hauna District
Hospital mortuary awaiting post-mortem,” he said.
In an interview during Rufaro’s wake, her mother, Ms
Patricia Chawora (41), said the death of her daughter left her heart shattered.
“I am in deep pain. I cannot believe that my daughter is
gone. The circumstances under which she met her demise are callous. This is so
heartbreaking. What kind of disciplining is it that a father beats his own
daughter to death? Amos should have simply sent Rufaro back to me if he had
enough of staying with her.
“I do not know what is going to become of my other two sons
who were staying with him following this incident. Even up to this day, I am
still experiencing nightmares as I continue grappling with the death of my only
daughter. It is a traumatic experience for the whole family,”she said,
struggling to hold back her tears.
Ms Chawora and Amos had four children together, but they
divorced in 2014.
She said her ex-husband was very abusive during the
subsistence of their marriage,and was in the habit of beating up the children
following the couple’s separation.
Rufaro was mostly on the receiving end of her father’s
brutal beatings, she added.
Images of Rufaro that The Manica Post has in its possession
show her with a bruised face, lacerated back and swollen right arm.
Village head, Mr Patrick Nyasango, said Rufaro’s death was
a sad loss to the community.
He said life is God’s greatest gift whose sanctity must
always be respected.
“As Mangwanda Village, we are devastated by the girl’s
death. A young life has been lost under circumstances that could have been
avoided. We urge parents and guardians to know where to draw the line when they
are disciplining their children to prevent fatal consequences. Life is a
precious gift that we treasure deeply and must not be lost in deplorable
situations similar to this one. We are sharing the Nyamangodo family’s grief by
assisting them throughout until Rufaro’s burial and pray that they find comfort
in the arms of the Lord,” said Village head Nyasango.
He added: “This is a loss,not only to the Nyamangodo
family, but the whole Mangwanda community. What happened is disgraceful and an
abomination in our culture. Now that the father has been arrested, the law must
take its course.”
The family patriarch, Mr Edison Nyamangodo, who is an elder
brother to Amos’ late father,said the incident has thrown them into turmoil.
“The whole family has been left shell-shocked and
speechless.It is horrifying that the situation has come to this end. We deeply
regret that a child, the future generation of our clan, has been lost at such a
tender age in a situation that paints a very bad picture. This is a bad omen
and as a family we will sit down to thoroughly discuss what transpired,” he
said.
Rufaro’s brother, Tadiwa (18) said he is finding it
difficult to believe that his sister is gone.
“I am at a loss of words to describe how exactly I am
feeling right now. Although she sustained injuries and was evidently in pain
after being beaten up by dad, I never thought it would come to this. May her
soul rest in peace,” said Tadiwa in a barely audible voice choking with
emotions.
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