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Woman strangles baby to save affair

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A GOKWE woman allegedly strangled her one-and-half-year old baby girl to death in a bid to save her relationship with a new lover.

A GOKWE woman allegedly strangled her one-and-half-year old baby girl to death in a bid to save her relationship with a new lover.

BY CHARLES LAITON

Muchaneta Musinahama allegedly killed the baby after the baby’s step-father allegedly refused to take care of the toddler.

The baby’s body was recovered by villagers in Chiweshe being devoured by dogs after it was removed from a shallow grave.

Musinahama (30), told Justice Garainesu Mawadze that she was not denying causing the death of her daughter, but she only realised she had committed the offence after efforts to resuscitate the toddler failed.

Villagers in Chiweshe were now baying for the woman’s blood as they were claiming that her actions might have brought them bad luck, the court heard. Asked to explain why she had killed the baby and how, Musinahama said, being a mother of three children, she found a new lover following the death of her husband and the man refused to stay with her children.

“My other two children were now staying with their paternal grandparents and I decided to take her to my mother in Chiweshe since I was pregnant at the time,” Musinahama said.

However, her mother refused to stay with the child leaving her with no choice, but to kill it since she was pregnant. She has since given birth in prison.

“I strangled the baby and later decided not to, but when I tried to resuscitate it, it was too late because I realised she had died and that was when I dug a shallow grave with my bare hands and covered it with stones,” she told the court.

Prosecutor Beaven Murevanhema urged the court to dismiss the woman’s bail application saying she was likely to abscond and also that she had exhibited suicidal tendencies.

Justice Mawadze dismissed her application for bail.

“I sympathise with your personal circumstances, but I am not persuaded that you are a suitable candidate for bail.”

After making a plea to look after her children Justice Mawadze ordered the State to consult the social welfare department to ensure the interest of the children were catered for.