Zimpapers Logo

Precious Tima

Angeline Mpofu Chronicle Reporter
A SIX-YEAR-OLD Bulawayo boy physically and verbally abused by his grandfather has been granted a protection order. Makura Tima, 45, of Njube suburb sometimes takes the young boy and dumps him in the city centre, a court heard.The lad, through his grandmother, Dambudzo Mudau, successfully won an interim protection order against his abusive grandfather.

Mudau told Western Commonage magistrate Tancy Dube her polygamous husband was traumatising the boy as she sought the court’s intervention to protect him. “When I and the boy’s mother are absent, he beats him up and uses threats to silence him. Sometimes he throws away the boy’s food while he’s still eating,” she said.

“He once forcibly took the boy from school and dumped him at Chicken Inn. We thank God because the boy was clever enough to find his way to his mother’s flea market in the city centre.”

Mudau, 45, accused her husband of abusing the boy as a way of settling scores in the polygamous family.
“He has two more wives and doesn’t want me anymore. That’s why he’s doing all this. He wants me and my daughter to leave him and his two wives,” she blasted.

Mudau, who stated that she is the first  wife, said a protection order was the only way to keep the boy safe.  She also vowed to stay put at the house, saying she worked hard to build it with her husband.

Mudau’s daughter, who is also the young boy’s mother, Precious, also spoke bitterly about her father.
“He went to court and applied for an eviction order against us. Fortunately, the court ruled in our favour and ever since that day he has been constantly chasing us away from the house,” she said.

“I was happily married in South Africa before my father accused my husband of being poor and forced me to come back home. He has turned against me because he has two more wives.”

A report presented by Thandazile Nyoni from Childline Bulawayo confirmed the boy had been abused, noting he was afraid to testify against his grandfather in court. “Tima’s home is not suitable for the upbringing of children as there seems to be a lot of conflict,” the report concluded.

Tima denied abusing his grandson and accused Mudau and Precious of fabricating falsehoods. Magistrate Dube granted the boy an interim protection order and warned Tima against abusing him.