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Midlands Correspondent
A 51-year-old teacher, who pushed a Grade 1 pupil against a desk, resulting in her sustaining a deep cut on the forehead, was last week convicted and sentenced to an effective one year in jail. Mejulla Matina, a teacher at Amaveni Primary School, was initially sentenced to two years in jail before Kwekwe magistrate Mr Tayengwa Sangster suspended a year on condition of good behaviour.

Mr Sangster said Matina abused her position of authority and attacked the minor without being provoked. “This incident is quit edisturbing, to say the least,” he said.

“This is a five-year-old sent to school to learn under your care. You were in charge of the complainant and it was upon you to protect the complainant and her rights.”

Mr Sangster highlighted that corporal punishment had been banned in schools and it was against the law to beat up pupils as a way of instilling discipline.

He said assault was a serious offence on its own which should be treated as such, adding that custodial sentence would go a long way in sending a message to would-be offenders and paying a fine or performing community service were not options in the case. “The sentence should fit the offence,” said Mr Sangster.

“It should be justifiable to the court and the community at large. If prison is not the right sentence here, where then will it fit? We are looking at the extremes of the cases involved here. Certainly community service or a fine will only serve to trivialise the case at hand.”

Matina, who was represented by Mr Colleen Maboka of Ruvengo Maboka and Company, had pleaded guilty to the charges.