By Panashe Karidzagundi.
A woman claiming to be 17, but her age offcially stated as 21, appeared before Beitbridge Magistrate Mbonisi Kaweni for striking another woman with a beer bottle.
The case brought before provincial magistrate Mbonisi Kaweni, on Wednesday this week, is said to have occured outside a local nightclub.
The accused, Melody Ndou, pleaded guilty to the assault.
The court heard that on April 17, 2026, at around 4am, Ndou and the complainant Tafadzwa Rimbi became involved in an altercation outside Kalahari Night Club in Beitbridge.
According to Prosecutor Victor Gorejena, Ndou accused Rimbi of being a thief and spreading syphilis.
When Rimbi dismissed the accusations and told Ndou to mind her own business, the confrontation escalated.
The court heard that Ndou, who was holding an empty Windhoek beer bottle, struck Rimbi once on the left jaw.
As a result, Rimbi sustained a laceration and an alleged fracture on her left cheek.
Although Rimbi reported the matter to police and was referred for medical examination, Gorejena informed the court that she failed to attend hospital and no medical report was produced.
Ndou admitted the charge and acknowledged that her actions could have caused harm to Rimbi.
During mitigation, Ndou told the court that she was 17 years old and would turn 18 later this year.
She said she was unmarried, had no children, worked as a sex worker earning approximately US$120 per month, and her highest level of education is Form Three.
In aggravation, Gorejena told the court that the Ndou had used a weapon during the assault and had committed the offence in a public place.
After convicting Ndou, the court ordered an age determination assessment to verify her age before sentence can be passed.
The matter was postponed to June 24, 2026, for the age determination report and sentencing proceedings.