Gweru woman burns toddler with hot oil in revenge attack on mother

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

Netsai Chitambira, of 1728 Jairos Jiri, Riverside in Gweru, was sentenced on Tuesday by Gweru Magistrate Deon Chiroyi to 315 hours of community service at the Gweru Military Museum after being convicted of unlawfully causing harm to the minor.

Prosecutor Christine Chidembo told the court that Chitambira and the child’s family are neighbours and that she had a grudge against the child’s mother.

On 2 May, 2026, at around 4pm, Chitambira was cooking outside her house while the child and other children were playing near the fireplace. She threw hot cooking oil on the toddler, scalding her leg.

Two days later, she used a burning log to burn the child’s back.

The mother later noticed the injuries, reported the matter to the police and a medical report was compiled.

More: Masvingo Mirror