A MAN from Magwegwe suburb in Bulawayo allegedly dumped his ex-wife’s four year old daughter in a bush at midnight, saying he could no longer be responsible for the child, a court heard.
Garayi Ndlovu, 40, allegedly dumped the girl, whose name cannot be disclosed for ethical reasons, at a bush near Khami dam.
The court heard villagers found the girl wandering near the dam. In his first appearance in court on Saturday, Ndlovu pleaded guilty to an ill-treatment and neglect of child charge before Provincial magistrate Abednico Ndebele.
Then, he said the child was his. “I admit the child is mine and I left her beside the road at around 3AM in the morning. I dumped her there because I can no longer take care of her,” said Ndlovu.
Yesterday he claimed that the child was not his biological daughter.
“When I married the girl’s mother she was already eight months pregnant. I didn’t notice she was pregnant until she gave birth because she had a big body. She ran away and left her child in my custody,” said Ndlovu.
Ndebele remanded him in custody to April 29. The child is staying at a children’s home, which was not disclosed in court. The prosecutor, Sibekithemba Dube told the court that on March 31 at around 12AM Ndlovu took the girl from his house and went to the dam.
“Accused person left his child unattended near Khami Dam. The victim was found by villagers who were fetching firewood and they took her to Pumula Police Station,” said Dube.
“The victim told the police where she stays. They then carried out investigations which led to the arrest of the accused.”