A horrific incident has shaken the Hopley community in Harare, Zimbabwe, after a tenant allegedly killed her landlord’s newborn baby. According to police reports, the baby’s mother, Ireen Pamela Govati, gave birth to the baby boy on December 8, 2024, and hid him in a 20-litre plastic bucket under her bed. The baby’s cries alerted Govati’s 12-year-old daughter and niece, who discovered him and informed Govati.
Tragically, Govati took the baby to her tenant, Rejoice Mapfumo, who brutally killed the infant by hurling him to the ground twice. The baby died on the spot. Govati and Mapfumo then allegedly buried the baby’s body in a shallow grave. The crime came to light when the children reported the incident to the police, leading to Mapfumo’s arrest. Govati, however, remains at large, and a manhunt has been launched to apprehend her.
The incident has sparked debate over Zimbabwe’s infanticide laws, which treat the crime differently from murder. Under Zimbabwean law, the maximum sentence for infanticide is five years in jail, with many women convicted of the crime receiving community service instead of imprisonment. However, Mapfumo, the tenant who killed the baby, is likely to be charged with murder.
Dandaro Online, Breaking News in Zimbabwe today
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