A 60-YEAR-OLD woman from Mangwe burnt her eight-year-old granddaughter with a red hot iron rod for stealing $1 from her. Lucy Ncube of Mayobodo placed an iron rod in a fire and then burnt Inamandla Ngwenya, a Grade 4 pupil at Mayobodo Primary School, on her legs and thighs. Ncube was convicted on her own plea of guilty to physical abuse by Plumtree magistrate, Mr Livard Philemon.

She was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment and three months were suspended on condition that she does not commit an offence of the same nature within that period. The remaining nine months were suspended on condition that she performs 315 hours of community service at Bango Clinic.

Prosecuting, Mrs Rose Sibanda said Ncube scalded her granddaughter on April 20 at around 5PM after discovering that she had stolen $1 from her. “On 20 April, Ncube asked her granddaughter if she had seen a $1 note which had gone missing from her bag and the girl revealed that she had used the money to buy some chips at school.

“Ncube became furious and placed an iron rod in a fire. When it was hot she used it to burn her granddaughter several times on the legs and thighs as punishment for using the money. Ncube only stopped after Inamandla’s elder sister intervened,” said Mrs Sibanda.

She said Inamandla suffered severe burns as a result of the assault but her grandmother did not take her to hospital. Instead, she used traditional medicine in a bid to conceal the offence. The matter came to light after a neighbour tipped the police about the attack.

Mrs Sibanda said Inamandla was referred to Plumtree District Hospital for treatment. In mitigation, Ncube said she was angry because she had wanted to use the stolen money.

“I apologise Your Worship. I did not mean to hurt my grandchild but her actions angered me. I only realised after I had burnt her that I had done something wrong but I was not thinking straight at the time. I was supposed to use that money for household expenses,” she said.@DubeMatutu