Woman boils baby and burns private parts

Tsholotsho - A woman from Bhule village in Tsholotsho district placed an 18-month-old boy in a tin before placing it over a fire.

Ellen Ngwabi (58), from Bhule 1 Village pleaded guilty to assault after her charge was reduced from attempted murder before Tsholotsho resident provincial magistrate, Mr Abednico Bhebhe on Friday last week.

She was sentenced to four years in jail. Eighteen months of her sentence were suspended for three years on condition that she is not within that period convicted of a similar offence.

In mitigation, Ngwabi pleaded with the court to exercise leniency on her saying she is a widow although her children are grown up.

Addressing the court in aggravation, the prosecutor-in-charge advocated for a custodial jail term saying what Ngwabi did was abominable.

In passing sentence, Ndebele said the reduction of the charge to assault and the fact that she spent eight months at Mlondolozi remand prison waiting for a mental examination weighed in her favour.

He said although she is a female first offender the court should not be swayed by this adding that what she did was Satanic and horrific and sent a shock wave in the Tsholotsho community.

He said the only befitting punishment was a prison term.The court heard that on 2 July 2007, Ngwabi was at her cousin, Albert Bhule Moyo’s homestead where she was visiting an ill relative.

She was left in the custody of the boy who “was allegedly fond of crying continuously”. This annoyed Ngwabi who tried to forcibly stop him from crying but she worsened the situation.

This angered Ngwabi, who then lifted the boy and put him in an empty bucket threatening to cook him if he did not stop crying.Ngwabi’s threats worsened the situation with the boy going into a frenzy.

She placed the bucket over a fire with the boy inside. The bucket absorbed heat and burnt the boy under both feet, buttocks and in the private parts.

A doctor who prepared a medical report, which was produced in court as an exhibit, says the boy suffered five- percent burns under the feet and that he was likely to suffer permanent injuries.