Judge sentences man to only 3 years in prison over the killing his 13-year-old son for gossiping about his alleged infidelity

 

Sunday, July 16, 2023 – A Zimbabwean judge has shocked the country after handing out only a 3-year jail sentence to a man who killed his son, 

Chenjerai Mandiziva, a 43-year-old resident of Edward Farm Plot 27, Shurugwi, was sentenced to a mere three years in jail for the tragic killing of his 13-year-old son, Takunda John Mandiziva.

The Masvingo Mirror reports that the heart-wrenching event unfolded on November 8, 2022, at the family’s residence in Edward Farm, Plot 27.

Chenjerai Mandiziva overheard his son, Takunda, talking to his stepmother, Berita Mapiye, about his father’s alleged infidelity.

Fueled by anger and a desire to silence the gossip, Mandiziva resorted to violence.

He continued assaulting his son despite the boy’s pleas. In a desperate attempt to regain himself, Takunda asked his father to pour water on him.

Tragically, the situation worsened, and the boy later succumbed to his injuries.

During the trial, the court learned that Takunda’s autopsy revealed internal injuries, including blood clots in his liver, kidneys, and lungs, leading to his death from traumatic shock and abdominal trauma. The gravity of the injuries should have warranted more severe punishment.

Mandiziva’s defence claimed culpable homicide, arguing that the killing was unintentional.

In what many perceive as a miscarriage of justice, High Court judge Justice Christopher Dube-Banda sentenced Mandiziva to just three years in prison. Even more puzzling was the suspension of one year from the sentence, meaning that the convicted man will serve a mere two years behind bars.

The community and human rights activists have expressed their outrage at the sentencing, calling it a mockery of justice.