A 60-year-old woman from Marange has been arrested for allegedly abusing her 10-year-old granddaughter in an attempt to force her to confess to stealing US$20 from a tuckshop.
The incident is said to have taken place in Rubatso Village on 24 December 2025, but only came to light a month later, on 24 January 2026.
The child was living with her grandmother after her mother remarried and moved to the Hot Springs area.
Police allege that the grandmother punished the girl by placing hot roundnuts inside her clothes, causing her to suffer serious burns.
Despite being informed about the incident the following day, the girl’s mother reportedly did not seek medical treatment for her daughter.
It is understood that she was reluctant to report the matter to the police because she did not want her own mother to be arrested, as she was taking care of the victim.
Acting Manicaland provincial police spokesperson, Assistant Inspector Wiseman Chinyoka, confirmed the case to The Manica Post. He said:
“On December 24, 2025, the accused person sent the victim to the tuckshop and later alleged that she had stolen US$20 from the tuckshop.
“The grandmother poured roasted roundnuts inside the victim’s clothing twice while she was tied at the waist as a way of forcing her to confess to the allegations. The victim was also assaulted with a switch.
“The victim contacted her mother on December 25, 2025, and advised her of what had happened, but the mother did not check on her condition due to financial constraints. Instead, she contacted the accused over the phone.”
It took almost three weeks before the mother visited her daughter to check on her condition. Said Chinyoka:
“On January 14, 2026, the victim’s mother visited the accused person, and the victim narrated the story and showed her mother the wounds, but no police report was made.
“The mother wanted to leave the victim with the accused person, but the victim refused to be left behind and went with her mother to Hot Springs, where she is staying.”
“The victim’s mother did not make a formal report on the grounds that she did not want the grandmother to be arrested, since she was the one who had looked after her daughter. The matter came to light after it circulated on social media groups.
“An informant alerted the police, leading to the arrest of the grandmother on January 24, 2026.
“The complainant was referred to Victoria Chitepo Provincial Hospital for examination and treatment. The accused is expected to appear in court.
Related:
Zimbabwe Records Single-Digit Inflation For First Time In Years
Grandmother Jailed 20 Years For Sexually Abusing Grandson