BY AWAKHIWE KHUMALO
A Victoria Falls man who punched his father, inflicting him with a deep cut on the lips during a fight over money has been acquitted of domestic violence charges.
Thandazani Dube (26), who is mentally challenged, was acquitted by resident magistrate Godswill Mavenge after a full trial.
He had pleaded not guilty for assaulting his 59-year-old father whom he lives with in the resort city’s Chinotimba high density-suburb.
Prosecutor Portia Moyo said sometime in September and at Ellison Dube’s residency, Dube was embroiled in verbal fight with his father who wanted to spend his money without his consent.
As the argument got heated, Dube is said to have thrown a punch at his father and injured him on the lips so badly that he had to seek treatment.
Dube’s father told the court that it was never his intention to take his son’s money.
He said Dube became violent after he admonished him for not taking his medication. “Thandazani was no longer taking his tablets properly and l called the police to take him to hospital because he survives on the pills as he is mentally challenged,” the father said.
“He then ran away and the police did not find him at home, and he then came back later and attacked me.”
Dube, however, disputed his father’s version of events and said on the day in question he did not have any mental health challenges.
“When I came home after getting my wages at work my father tried to snatch my money and when l refused a fight ensued,” he said.
“When I tried to protect myself and my money, he hit me on my ribs with a tree branch and l felt a lot of pain.
“When I started to cry the police came in for me, but even now I still feel the pain, especially at night.”
The father said his son destroyed his cell phone after hitting against a tile.
In his ruling, Mavenge said it was clear that the two had a fight over domestic issues and went to acquit Dube of the charges.