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Midlands Reporters
THERE was pandemonium at the Gweru magistrate court’s yesterday when a vendor facing theft charges allegedly smashed the head of her three months old daughter against the wall in protest after being remanded in custody for psychiatrist evaluation.

The child, who started bleeding from the nose, mouth and a deep cut on the head, was immediately rushed to Gweru Provincial Hospital where hospital authorities, speaking on condition of anonymity said she was stitched on the head and her condition is stable.

Tendai Makavi (30) of Mtapa Section 6 suburb in Gweru allegedly committed the offence around 11:30AM  as she made her way to the Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services  (ZPCS) holding cells at the magistrate’s courts on Wednesday.

Makavi, a mother of two and a vendor at Kudzanayi Bus Terminus had appeared before magistrate Ms Vimbai Makora facing theft charges.

Makavi was not asked to plead and Ms Makora ordered that she be examined by a Government psychiatrist after noticing her unusual behaviour in the dock.

She then remanded Makavi in custody to March 29.

“The accused is remanded in custody to March 29 for psychiatric evaluation by a Government psychiatrist to ascertain the state of her mind,” said Ms Makora.

“Since she was not in handcuffs because she was holding her baby no one suspected that she could do anything especially to her baby. She suddenly smashed her baby against a wall. Prison officers immediately ferried the baby to Gweru Provincial Hospital for treatment and her condition is said to be critical,” said Mr John Kunaka who witnessed the incident.

After the incident all the courts adjourned and resumed at 2PM.

No official comment could be obtained from Gweru Provincial Hospital or from the court.

It is the State case that on March 13 this year, Makavi allegedly went to Pick n Pay Supermarket in Gweru where she stole Nivea lotion; toothpaste and Nugget polish and hid them inside a towel which she was using to carry her baby.

The court heard that as she was about to leave the supermarket without paying for the items she was stopped by a security guard who searched her and found the things she had stolen leading to her arrest.

Mr Daniel Tapfuma appeared for the state.