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May 6th, 2021 at 12:14 pm
A 39-year-old man risks going to jail for 60 days if he fails to raise a $5000 (GHS28,925) fine slapped on him by a court for assaulting his wife for not singing at a funeral.
Lucas Mhlanga, a barber from Mzilikazi suburb in Zimbabwe is to pay the hefty fine by May 30.
He reportedly pleaded guilty to assault charges when he appeared before Bulawayo Magistrate Mrs Nomagugu Maphosa on Monday, May 3.
According to Chronicle Zimbabwe, the prosecutor, Owen Mugari told the court that Mhlanga and his wife Sikhulekile Moyo, 40, were returning home after attending a funeral in the same suburb on Sunday evening when he asked her why she was not singing at the funeral. He then proceeded to assault her.
She did not sustain any injuries but reported the matter to the police and Mhlanga was arrested.
Moyo later brought an affidavit to court seeking to withdraw the matter saying she had forgiven him.
“I have forgiven my husband because he promised not to do it again and because he is the father of my only child who is a minor,” she said in the affidavit.
Mhlanga pleaded for clemency, saying he would never assault his wife again because he now knows that it is an offence. He blamed his conduct on alcohol.
“I am sorry to my wife and to the Honourable court. I acted under the influence of alcohol and I did not know that punishing my wife is an offence. Now that I know, I shall never do it again,” the convict pleads.
Giving her ruling on the case, the magistrate, Mrs Maphosa said the court decided to be lenient with the convict because the complainant had rendered an affidavit intending to withdraw the case.
She added that the couple has a child who is a minor and the convict happens to be the breadwinner of the family, so jailing him would disturb the child’s upkeep.
source : pulse.com.gh