MBABANE – A 28-year-old man from Mbabane, Wandile Dlamini, has been fined E5,000 or sentenced to two years in prison after he admitted to assaulting his girlfriend, Temanyasa Phiri, whom he accused of cheating on him with his friend.
Principal Magistrate Fikile Nhlabatsi handed down the sentence on Monday morning at the Mbabane Magistrates Court. Part of the sentence – E3,000 or one year – was suspended for three years on condition that Dlamini does not commit a similar offence during that period.
Dlamini pleaded guilty to contravening Section 77(1)(a) of the Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence (SODV) Act of 2018. The court was told he struck Phiri with open hands on her face during an altercation.
Asked to explain his actions, Dlamini told the court that he lost control of his emotions after learning that Phiri had been intimate with his close friend. He admitted that what he did was wrong, calling it a “mistake” and claiming to have apologised to both parties the following day.
During the mitigation hearing, Dlamini appealed for mercy, saying he was a father of three young children, one of whom is currently admitted to hospital. He added that the other two were left in the care of a neighbour while he attended court. He also said he was unemployed and asked to pay the fine in installments.
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