By Fairness Moyana

A Tsholotsho granny who beat her four-year-old granddaughter and burnt her on the face leading to her death, has been spared jail.

Betty Ndlovu (54) of Paneni line, under chief Gampu in Tsholotsho assaulted her late grand-daughter for playing next door. Ndlovu who looks after her HIV positive orphaned grandchildren, flogged Ellen Moyo with a switch until she fainted.

In a state of panic, a court heard, Ndlovu tried to revive the child by smoking her with herbs and in the process burnt the child on the face. Bulawayo High Court judge Justice Nicholas Mathonsi sitting on circuit in Hwange found Ndlovu not guilty of murder but convicted her of culpable homicide.

The judge said Ndlovu was responsible for initiating the chain reactions that eventually led to the death of the toddler but could not be blamed. “You’re an unsophisticated rural woman who may have done what you did out of trying to help the child but those actions may have contributed to her death not necessarily the assault,” said Justice Mathonsi.

“You must know that you set in motion events that eventually led to the death of the deceased. Your actions of burning incense and making the child inhale the substance eventually caused her death. With the circumstances and evidence heard before this court I find you not guilty of murder but guilty of culpable homicide.”

“I sentence you to four years imprisonment which is wholly suspended on condition that you do not commit a similar offence within the next five years.” The court heard that on February 25 last year at around 3PM Ndlovu followed the child who was playing at Sta Ndlovu’s homestead with other children.