Mbabane – A family man from Magwaneni, Luke Dlamini, has been arrested for assaulting his wife, Zwakele Vilakati, with a belt, saying he found out that she has been out clubbing for the weekend with her sisters.
Dlamini was charged with contravening Section 77 of the Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence (SODV) Act of 2018 after he was reported for striking her head severely with the belt.
Dlamini who was self-represented appeared before Mbabane Principal Magistrate Fikile Nhlabatsi on Wednesday and pleaded guilty to the charge.
When he had the time to address the court, Dlamini said the incident started after his wife had asked to visit his parental home which he said he suspected turned out to be a lie. He would occasionally smile about the issue and told the court that he loved his wife.
“I love my wife even though she is a drunkard,” he said.
Dlamini said he denied his wife the visitation, but she went on her own accord, promising to return home in the evening. She failed to come back as expected, Dlamini said.
He said his wife later called their son to fetch her but only handed over a jacket and a cell phone, remaining behind. Later that day, he said, his wife briefly returned home to collect her cell phone, telling Dlamini that she had issues to sort out with the police, before leaving again.
Dlamini told the court that he grew increasingly frustrated as he could not reach his wife by phone that night. The following morning, he went to her parental home to inquire about her whereabouts but received no clear answers.
When Vilakati eventually returned, she allegedly told him that she had been out drinking with her sisters. He said her response felt disrespectful, and in anger, he resorted to physically assaulting her, hitting her on the head with the belt.
In mitigation, Dlamini told the court that he was very remorseful. He said he still loves his wife despite the fact that she is a drunkard.
“I am taking care of my wife’s medical expenses,” Dlamini said.
The Principal Magistrate condemned Dlamini’s actions. She told him that real men would not make the mistake of assaulting their beloved wives with a belt as if they were children.
She then ordered Dlamini to pay a fine of E5000 or face a five-year imprisonment. An amount of E3000 was suspended for three years under the condition that he does not commit a similar offence.
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