Father locks up, bashes son

News
A 41-YEAR-OLD man from Magwegwe suburb in Bulawayo was arrested after he locked his son (8) in a room for more than an hour and striking him using a baton until the boy broke his arm twice.

A 41-YEAR-OLD man from Magwegwe suburb in Bulawayo was arrested after he locked his son (8) in a room for more than an hour and striking him using a baton until the boy broke his arm twice.

PRESTIGE GAMA OWN CORRESPONDENT

This came to light when Nkosilathi Moyo appeared before Western Commonage provincial magistrate Willard Mafios Moyo, where he was charged for violating section 3 (i)(a) of the Domestic Violence Act.

He pleaded guilty to the charge and was slapped with a 24-month jail term, with 12 months being conditionally suspended for five years.

The remaining half of the sentence was suspended on condition that Moyo performs 420 hours of community service at Masotsha Primary School.

In his defence, Moyo said he was only trying to discipline his son, who had developed a habit of going home late.

“I was only correcting my son as his father, I did not think it was going to be that bad,” he told the court.

“I don’t have the right to hurt my son, but as his father I ought to discipline him when he does not follow my rules.”

Prosecutor Mufaro Mageza told the court that on March 10, Moyo sent his son to buy airtime from the shops around 2pm.

However, he disappeared for six hours and was only found at his aunt’s place in Luveve.

Moyo dragged his son back home and locked all the doors to his house, before battering the boy.

Neighbours testified that at first they thought it was alright for him to discipline his son. However, they got a worried when the disciplinary process exceeded an hour.

The neighbours attempted to rescue the boy, but could not as the doors were locked and they resorted to calling Childline, a chilren’s rights organisation.

They said they called the organisation because the boy was crying in anguish, begging his father to stop.

A Childline social worker arrived at the scene with the police and realised the boy had sustained deep cuts all over the body, with his arm broken twice.

Privilege Mpofu, a social worker, told the court that she was phoned by unknown neighbours informing her of the child’s abuse.

“We rushed there in the company of the police officers and discovered the boy was lying down on the floor with wounds all over the body,” she said.

Police arrested Moyo.