MBABANE – The Mbabane magistrates’ trial court heard how a chilled-out session of uncles and a nephew, who reported one of them for assault, quickly turned violent over an undisclosed dispute.
In this case, a man in his 30s from Motjane faces Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Act of 2018 violation charges for allegedly assaulting his nephew with a burning log on the head, leaving him with burns on the neck on October 5.
The incident reportedly happened at a drinking spot at a Hlatshwako homestead, where the family members were drinking alcohol while sitting around a fire.
Giving testimony, the complainant said he was not sure how and why the fight broke out, but two of the uncles disagreed on something. The complainant testified that his elder brother’s efforts to stop the fight while reminding them that they were family proved futile, as while he (the complainant) was sitting near the fire, out of nowhere, he suddenly felt a burning log hit him on the head. The burning embers from the log fell onto his neck, burning him and leaving him with sores.
He said he asked why he was being assaulted, but the accused ignored him. They were asked to vacate the yard and resolve their issues elsewhere. The following day, the nephew went to the police station to report the matter, saying he had been assaulted for no reason. He told the court that before the incident, he had a good relationship with his uncle, although they did not live in the same household; thus, he was surprised to see his uncle assaulting him.
During cross-examination, the accused questioned the complainant about lying in court and claimed his nephew left out important details. The accused said he was provoked by his nephews, who insulted him about his mother, who is their grandmother. He told the court he only took the burning log to scare them away, as they were armed with fists, but accidentally hit his nephew in the process.
Magistrate Qondile Mtetwa remanded the accused out of custody until October 21 for the continuation of the trial, reminding them to promote peace in homes and address domestic violence.
Discussion about this post