Footballer Kudakwashe Mahachi’s trial on charges of attempted murder and neglect of child commenced at the Bulawayo regional court on Thursday.
Mahachi pleaded not guilty to both charges before regional magistrate Mark Dzira and was remanded out of custody to 6 September for continuation of trial.
He is accused of scalding his four-year-old son and assaulting him with an iron bar in South Arica early this year.
Mahachi’s sister so far has testified as a State witness.
Prosecutor Acumen Khuphe said that from February 25 2022 to April 14 Mahachi intentionally attempted to cause the death of his son Diego Christian. Said Khuphe:
The complainant, in this case, is Diego Christian Mahachi a male juvenile aged 4 years, residing at House number 38 1st Street Marriage Quarters Makokoba, Bulawayo.
Mahachi sought the complainant’s mother to take the complainant to South Africa since they had divorced as he wanted him to have better education and the complainant went to South Africa on 25 February 2022 in the company of his aunt Meline Mahachi who returned to Zimbabwe on 27 February 2022.
On a date unknown to the prosecutor between 25 February 2022 to 14 April 2022 the accused person assaulted the complainant with an iron bar on the head and mouth.
He further poured hot water all over the complainant’s body and assaulted him with a charger cable all over the body.
As a result of the assault, the complainant sustained burns and injuries all over the body.
In July Mahachi appeared before a separate court facing theft charges.
He was being accused of stealing his sister’s phone to conceal evidence that allegedly proved he committed the crimes against his son.
Mahachi was acquitted of theft charges after a Bulawayo magistrate established there was bad blood between the soccer star and his sister Meline who was the complainant. | Chronicle