In a recent verdict, Magistrate Constance Mutandwa has handed down a one-month jail sentence, wholly suspended, to Beatrice Chikomba, a 46-year-old Grade 7 teacher at Chaka Primary School in Chivhu.

The teacher had instructed her students to physically assault a fellow pupil who had failed a Continuous Assessment Learning Activities (CALA) assignment.

The incident, which occurred on September 29, 2023, left the student with a swollen face.

However, Magistrate Mutandwa granted leniency, allowing Chikomba to avoid imprisonment by paying a fine of US$150.