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Leonard Ncube Victoria Falls Reporter
A 73-YEAR-OLD woman has appeared in court charged with assault after she allegedly bit her nephew’s wife and removed a chunk of her lower lip.

Regina Phuti from BH29 in Mvuthu area outside Victoria Falls town, pleaded not guilty to the charge when she appeared before Victoria Falls magistrate Rangarirai Gakanje this week.

She was remanded out of custody on her own cognisance to Friday next week for judgment.

Phuti said she acted in self defence after Rachel Ndlovu, 34, who is her nephew Simon Mkandla’s wife, assaulted her.

The two had a misunderstanding after Ndlovu’s goats strayed into Phuti’s cowpeas field on March 22 this year.

Phuti told the court that Mkandla held her arms as his wife assaulted her with a log.

“Her goats entered my garden and destroyed my cowpeas. I drove them to her homestead calling out her name but she hid. When I got closer she told me the goats were not hers and started insulting me,” said Phuti.

She said Ndlovu insulted her saying: “Dirty old woman you want me and my husband to separate.”

Phuti told the court that Ndlovu attacked her and she defended herself.

“I want to apologise to God and this honourable court for biting my daughter-in-law but she is the one who started it. I’ve our village head Sibonginkosi Moyo as my witness. They’re both my children and I told them that if I wronged them God would punish me,” said Phuti, drawing giggles from the gallery.

Gakanje said her witness was not necessary since he wasn’t at the scene of the fight although she fled to his homestead.

A medical report stated that Ndlovu suffered serious injuries and lost her lower lip.

Mkandla conceded that he subdued his aunt but claimed he didn’t know his wife’s intentions until she hit the elderly woman on the head.

Takunda Ndovorwi prosecuted.