Top Stories
By Leona Lyne Chimushonga
A 43-year-old Mberengwa woman, Chipiwa Majasi, has been sentenced to an effective eight years in prison following the death of a one-year-six-month-old child after a traditional tongue-incision procedure.
Majasi, of Village 3, Kugutakurima, under Chief Mposi in Mberengwa, was sentenced by the High Court of Zimbabwe sitting on circuit in Gweru after being convicted of culpable homicide.
According to details reported from a statement by the National Prosecuting Authority of Zimbabwe, the deceased child, Ruvarashe Mafikeni, died on 5 March 2026 at Runyararo Complex in Vanguard, Mberengwa.
The court heard that the child’s mother had invited Majasi to the family home to perform a traditional procedure intended to address what was described as the child’s “speech problem.”
Majasi reportedly used a razor blade to cut the lower membrane of the child’s tongue before leaving the residence.
The child subsequently bled. Although the bleeding later stopped, she fell asleep and later died.
She was taken to Mberengwa District Hospital, where she was pronounced dead. The incident was then reported to police, leading to Majasi’s arrest.
A post-mortem examination established that the child’s death was caused by haemorrhagic shock, sublingual artery laceration and tongue injury, according to the report based on the NPAZ statement.
The High Court sentenced Majasi to 10 years’ imprisonment, but two years were suspended on condition that she does not commit a similar offence within five years.
She will therefore serve an effective eight years in prison. This corrects the earlier version of the story, which stated that three years had been suspended. The latest report from uMthunywa/Herald specifically states that two years were suspended.
The case has also prompted renewed attention to the risks associated with procedures performed on children outside medically supervised settings.
The National Prosecuting Authority of Zimbabwe urged members of the public to protect vulnerable people, particularly children, from unsafe practices.
“NPAZ discourages members of the public from engaging in unsafe practices that may result in serious injury or loss of life,” the authority said.
The case highlights the potentially serious consequences when traditional practices involving children’s bodies are performed using instruments or procedures that can cause severe injury.
Majasi, of Village 3, Kugutakurima, under Chief Mposi in Mberengwa, was sentenced by the High Court of Zimbabwe sitting on circuit in Gweru after being convicted of culpable homicide.
According to details reported from a statement by the National Prosecuting Authority of Zimbabwe, the deceased child, Ruvarashe Mafikeni, died on 5 March 2026 at Runyararo Complex in Vanguard, Mberengwa.
The court heard that the child’s mother had invited Majasi to the family home to perform a traditional procedure intended to address what was described as the child’s “speech problem.”
Majasi reportedly used a razor blade to cut the lower membrane of the child’s tongue before leaving the residence.
The child subsequently bled. Although the bleeding later stopped, she fell asleep and later died.
She was taken to Mberengwa District Hospital, where she was pronounced dead. The incident was then reported to police, leading to Majasi’s arrest.
A post-mortem examination established that the child’s death was caused by haemorrhagic shock, sublingual artery laceration and tongue injury, according to the report based on the NPAZ statement.
The High Court sentenced Majasi to 10 years’ imprisonment, but two years were suspended on condition that she does not commit a similar offence within five years.
She will therefore serve an effective eight years in prison. This corrects the earlier version of the story, which stated that three years had been suspended. The latest report from uMthunywa/Herald specifically states that two years were suspended.
The case has also prompted renewed attention to the risks associated with procedures performed on children outside medically supervised settings.
The National Prosecuting Authority of Zimbabwe urged members of the public to protect vulnerable people, particularly children, from unsafe practices.
“NPAZ discourages members of the public from engaging in unsafe practices that may result in serious injury or loss of life,” the authority said.
The case highlights the potentially serious consequences when traditional practices involving children’s bodies are performed using instruments or procedures that can cause severe injury.
Published
September 17, 2026 at 9:00 AM
