A woman from Kwekwe stripped naked her four-year-old son and whipped him with a belt while recording the act before sending the audio of the wailing child to her ex-husband as a way of revenge for dumping her.
In the recording, the woman is heard accusing the four-year-old boy of being promiscuous and being a witch “just like your father”.
This came to light when Josephine Chidume (35) of Mbizo 5 appeared before Kwekwe magistrate Mr Livard Philemon facing charges of child abuse.
She was found guilty of contravening Section 7(1) of Children’s Rights and sentenced to 12 months in jail.
She will, however, spend an effective eight months in jail after four months were suspended on condition of good behaviour.
The State led by Miss Maggie Ruzive proved that sometime earlier this month on a date unknown to the court, Chidume, who is the mother to the boy, ordered him to remove his clothes for a beating.
After complying, Chidume, the court heard, went on to assault the boy with a belt.
While assaulting the boy, Chidume would be recording the assault.
On 17 April Chidume sent the recordings to the boy’s father who took the audio to Child Line.
Chidume was arrested and arraigned before the courts.
In an audio played in court, Chidume would be heard shouting obscenities on the boy.
“Ndoda kukurovera chihure chababa vako. Kurumidza kubvisa hembe idzodzo. Andisi kuseka newe, ndizozvamunofurirana nababa vako kuita zvechihure. Varoyi vevenhu iwe nebaba vako (I am going to beat you up for your father’s promiscuous tendencies, This is not a laughing matter, remove your clothes I want to beat you up on the naked skin so that your father stops being a prostitute. You and your father are witches),” Chidume could be heard saying in the recording.-sundaynews
