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MANZINI – A teacher has accused his mother and sister of assaulting him while he was sick and then forcing him out of their home.
%hekani Vilakati alleges that the assault occurred at their homestead and that he was hit with a stone by his mother, Duduzile (62) and sister, 6ebenzile Vilakati (36) of Mganwini. The two accused persons appeared before Manzini 3rincipal Magistrate David Khumalo on the charge of con travening 6ection 77 (1) (a) of the 6ex ual Offences and Domestic Violence (6ODV) Act, in that they reportedly wrongfully and unlawfully assaulted %hekani Vilakati with a stone on the left upper eye once and with open hands and fists several times on the body. This is said to have happened at Mganwini, /uve in the Manzini
Region on February 11. The charge sheet states that such alleged conduct harmed or caused imminent harm to the safety, health and wellbeing of the complainant. The first accused pleaded guilty to the charge, while the second accused pleaded not guilty.
Evidence
When submitting his evidence be fore court, %hekani said he was in his mother¶s bedroom after his mother had instructed him to stay home so that she could allegedly monitor his condition, as he had been discharged from hospital. “At around 3am, I woke up to relieve myself in a bucket which my mother had provided,” the com plainant narrated. +e said there was a strong smell after he relieved himself. %hekani claimed that at around 6am, his mother and sister approached him and scolded him, suggesting that he should leave and build his own home.
+e alleged that his mother assaulted him. As a result, he said his urinating pipe got dismantled. The complainant said he went to a neighbour¶s home to request for E10 to go to the police station, where he reported the matter.
Meanwhile, during cross examina tion, the mother put it to the com plainant that she walked out of the bedroom at around 5am and found him defecating in a bucket. 6he fur ther mentioned that %hekani had not closed other doors to the dining room and other rooms.
6he said she instructed the com plainant to close the doors, but he sup posedly declined, stating that he was asleep. The accused said she gave this instruction to her son because other family members were affected by the stench. According to the mother, her son had gone out on a drinking spree and came back to relieve himself in her bedroom. 6he claimed that he also insulted her. 6he mentioned that she
pushed her son out of her bedroom and house, and told him not to return. To all these assertions, the complainant denied. 6he further put it to the com plainant that he would go on drinking sprees and return home to damage household items. The matter will resume on May 14 for continuation.
Matter
In a separate matter, a man was caught transporting 14 children in a +onda Fit. Thabo MatsenMwa (36) of Masundvwini appeared before Manzini 6enior Magistrate 6indisiwe =wane for contravening the Road Transportation Act 5 of 2007, and contravening the Road Traffic Act 6 of 2007. It is said he was found to have been transporting the pupils to various schools in Manzini. According to the charge sheet in count one, the accused at or near *race 6chool along %osco 1gwane 3ark 3ublic Road, being the driver of a +onda Fit sedan, wrong fully and unlawfully drove the vehicle
and conveyed 14 school children to different schools around Manzini for a financial reward. It is said he did this without having a public operating per mit. For this offence, he contravened 6ection 3 (2) as read with 6ection 32 (1) (a) of the Road Transportation Act 5 of 2007. This happened last Wednesday.
&ount two highlights that the ac cused unlawfully drove the said vehi cle at or near *race along %osco 1g wane 3ark 3ublic Road and stopped on the roadway, blocking the free movement of other road users and thus contravened 6ection 67 (1) as read with 6ection 122 (1) and 6ection 122 (7) of the Road Traffic Act 6 of 2007.
+e pleaded guilty to both counts. The accused was sentenced to one year imprisonment with an option to pay a fine of E1 500 in the first count, and six months in prison or a fine of E800 in count two.