Gweru Woman Gets Community Service for Burning Toddler

By Southerton Business Times Reporter, Gweru

A 38-year-old Gweru woman who scalded a one-year-old child with hot oil and burnt her back with a log in an alleged revenge attack against the child’s mother has been sentenced to 315 hours of community service.

Netsai Chitambira, of 1728 Jairos Jiri, Riverside, was sentenced by Gweru magistrate Deon Chiroyi on Tuesday after being convicted of unlawfully causing harm to the minor. The court heard that Chitambira attacked the child on two separate occasions in May 2026, following a dispute with the child’s mother, who lives in the same neighbourhood.

On May 2, at around 4 pm, Chitambira was cooking outside her house while the child and other children played near the fireplace. The court heard that Chitambira threw hot oil on the one-year-old, scalding the child’s leg. Two days later, she allegedly used a log to burn the child’s back.

The child’s mother later noticed the injuries and reported the matter to the police. A medical report was subsequently compiled. Chitambira was ordered to perform 315 hours of community service at the Gweru Military Museum. Christine Chidembo prosecuted the case.

Gweru woman sentenced for burning toddler