A 43-year-old woman from Mberengwa has been sentenced to an effective eight years in prison after a traditional procedure she performed on a child ended in tragedy.
Chipiwa Majasi of Village 3, Kugutakurima, under Chief Mposi, was sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment by the High Court sitting in Gweru after being convicted of culpable homicide.
Two years of the sentence were suspended on condition of good behaviour, leaving Majasi to serve an effective eight years behind bars.
The court heard that on March 5, the child, Ruvarashe Mafikeni, was at Runyararo Complex in Vanguard, Mberengwa, when her mother invited Majasi to the family home to perform a traditional procedure intended to address the child’s speech problem.
Majasi allegedly used a razor blade to cut the lower membrane of the child’s tongue before leaving the residence.
The child subsequently fell asleep and was later found without signs of life at around 2pm.
She was rushed to Mberengwa District Hospital, where medical personnel pronounced her dead.
The incident was reported to the police, leading to Majasi’s arrest and subsequent prosecution.
The case highlights the potential dangers associated with unregulated traditional procedures, particularly when performed on children using sharp instruments without appropriate medical safeguards.
While traditional practices remain part of many communities’ cultural and social lives, health authorities have repeatedly encouraged people to seek qualified medical assistance for health-related conditions, particularly where children are involved.
In this case, the court found Majasi criminally liable for the child’s death, resulting in the 10-year sentence, with two years suspended on condition of good behaviour.
The effective eight-year prison term reflects the seriousness with which the courts treated the circumstances surrounding the child’s death.
