Gibson Mhaka
IT was a living nightmare for a Bulawayo woman when her brother-in-law stormed into her bedroom, where she was taking a bath, feasted on her naked body and then called her a prostitute.
This came to light when Farai Chivandire (34) appeared before Bulawayo magistrate Rachel Mukanga facing three counts of criminal insult, physical abuse and Malicious Damage to Property (MDP).
It was proven in court that on an unknown date, but sometime in February 2021, Natasha Ncube was bathing in her bedroom when Chivandire came and forcibly opened the door. After feasting on her naked body, the court heard that Chivandire for no apparent reason then insulted her and labelled her a prostitute.
The court further heard that four days later, Chivandire again stormed into his sister-in-law’s bedroom where he found her sleeping.
Without saying a word, he assaulted her with open hands on the face before he dragged her outside the house where he continued to assault her with a leather belt all over the body.
A daring Chivandire, the court heard, continued with his abusive behaviour when he again on 13 March 2021 went to the complainant’s bedroom and started shouting at her saying her husband owed him money.
At the height of the commotion, Chivandire took Ncube’s DVD player and threw it on the floor and it was damaged in the process.
The value of the damaged DVD player is $2 268.
The matter was reported to the police leading to Chivandire’s arrest. When he appeared in court, he pleaded guilty to all the three counts.
On the first count he was convicted and sentenced to pay a fine of $1 000 or 20 days imprisonment if he fails to pay the fine, on second count of physical abuse he was sentenced to perform 350 hours of community service at Lockview Primary School and on the last count he was slapped with a 30-day imprisonment which was wholly-suspended on condition that he restitutes the complainant the sum of $2 268 which is the value of the damaged DVD player.
