The Sunday News
A 34-YEAR-OLD man from Gweru will languish in prison after he went berserk and bashed his wife with an iron bar for attending a Magaya Church Service that was held in Kwekwe recently.
Sagia Tobias from Mkoba Village 17 appeared before Gweru magistrate Mr Tayengwa Chibanda facing assault charges.
He was convicted on his own plea. In passing sentence, Mr Chibanda said Tobias deserved a custodial sentence.
“Normally we give sentences that usually won’t break your marriage but you used severe force to hit your defenceless wife and you also aimed for the head which is a pressure point and could lead to death. You have been sentenced to 18 months in prison of which six months are suspended for five years on condition you do not commit a similar offence. Effectively you will serve 12 months,” he said.
For the State, Mr Lloyd Mavhisa told the court that on 31 January at about 3am, Tobias awakened his wife, Shelter Muzavazi, and confronted her to explain why she had attended a Magaya church crusade in Kwekwe. The court heard a heated argument ensued between the two resulting in Tobias taking an iron bar and striking Muzavazi once on the head, three times on her face and twice on the palm. Mr Mavhisa told the court that Muzavazi sustained a deep cut on the head and a swollen mouth. Muzavazi also sustained a fractured jaw as a result of the assault. She managed to escape and sought refuge from neighbours who then accompanied her to the police to report the matter leading to Tobias’ arrest.
