Parents Urged To Avoid Beating Up Children
Parents, guardians and caregivers have been urged not to resort to corporal punishment as a method to discipline their errant children.
The follows the death of a 16-year-old boy in Glen Norah, Tatenda Pachavo, who was allegedly beaten to death by 3 male relatives after being tied to a chair at the instigation of his mother.
The deceased’s mother, who is in remand at Chikurubi female prison denied culpability in the teenager’s death. She said:
I was told that we want to discipline your son because he has stolen his aunt’s cellphone, I assumed it was the usual disciplining only to find my son tied to a chair battling for his life, we took him to hospital but he was pronounced dead on arrival.
Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) National Spokesperson Assistant Commissioner, Paul Nyathi, confirmed that the mother and her three relatives, aged 20, 21 and 27 were arrested. He said:
We received a report of the case and the accused are now in remand prison awaiting trial, we urge the public not to use physical force on their children and top resolve disputes amicably.
A social worker with Childline Zimbabwe, Ms Kudzai Vimbiso Tseriwe, said parents and caregivers should use alternative disciplinary methods such as withdrawal of privileges.
