A young father, Mike Ndlovu, 20, has been sentenced to three years in prison after being convicted of culpable homicide in the tragic death of his two-month-old son.
The incident occurred on Christmas Day 2021, during a night of revelry at a Nyau dance performance in Ngoni township.
Ndlovu and his wife had taken their infant son to enjoy the festivities. As the evening wore on, around 9pm, Ndlovu’s wife, weary from the day, suggested it was time to head home. However, Ndlovu, who had been drinking beer, refused to leave the vibrant atmosphere of the dance.
A heated argument erupted between the couple, escalating into a physical altercation. In the midst of the fight, Ndlovu, fueled by anger and alcohol, lashed out at his wife, striking her with a fist. The infant, strapped to his mother’s back, was caught in the crossfire.
The force of the blow tragically resulted in the death of the innocent child.
Ndlovu was initially charged with murder, but the court ultimately found him guilty of culpable homicide, a lesser charge that acknowledges the unintentional nature of the killing.
Justice Philda Muzofa, presiding over the case at Chinhoyi High Court, initially sentenced Ndlovu to five years in prison. However, she later reduced the sentence to three years, suspending two years on condition that Ndlovu does not commit a similar offence within the next five years.
