MBABANE – A 42-year-old man of Sidwashini has been sentenced to supervised community service after being reported by his two children for abuse.
Fezile Vilakati stood in front of Principal Magistrate Fikile Nhlabatsi and explained his disciplinary tactics before being ordered by Vilakati to begin tidying the court area tomorrow morning in relation to the two charges of contravening Section 77(1) of the Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence (SODV) Act 15/2018 he faced on Monday.
Both his 19-year-old daughter and 17-year-old son each laid a charge on him for physical abuse said to have occurred on June 19, 2025, at their home in Sidvwashini.
On the first count, Vilakati was charged for assaulting his son with a broomstick multiple times across his body while for the second count, the accused was physical with his daughter, assaulting her with open hands and kicking her several times on the body.
During the proceedings, Vilakati disputed kicking his daughter though he said he slapped her once.
The Crown provided evidence that a doctor’s report also confirmed that the son sustained bruises on his back and an injury to his left arm, corroborating the abuse claims.
When questioned by the magistrate, Vilakati admitted to assaulting his children. He stated he assaulted the girl because she returned home with only E12 after being given the responsibility to sell food from their mobile kitchen, despite the food being sold-out.
He also explained that he assaulted the boy for returning home late from school, noting that his son, a Form 1 pupil, consistently arrives home between 6:30 PM and 7:00 PM.
Principal Magistrate Nhlabatsi said while the court does not oppose child discipline, it condemns the extent to which parents go in disciplining their children. She advised parents to discipline their children in a manner appropriate for their age.
Vilakati expressed remorse, stating that this behavior was uncharacteristic and that his anger on that particular day led him to use an object nearby.
He apologized and said he was the family’s sole breadwinner. He explained that they rely on the mobile kitchen for their livelihood, which only thrives when he is personally involved in sales.
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