Hurungwe Woman Convicted for Concealing Twin Birth

A 43-year-old woman from Hurungwe, Mashonaland West Province, Angela Madzvimbo, was convicted and sentenced by the Karoi Magistrates' Court for concealing the birth of twin infants. The bodies were discovered buried in a shallow grave near her homestead .

According to reports, Madzvimbo left her home while heavily pregnant, claiming she was going to look for mushrooms in a nearby bush. She returned that afternoon, no longer pregnant, which raised suspicions among villagers. When questioned, she admitted to giving birth to stillborn twins and burying their bodies without notifying authorities .

Madzvimbo was sentenced to six months' imprisonment, with three months suspended. The remaining three months were suspended on condition that she completes 105 hours of community service. The National Prosecuting Authority stressed that Zimbabwean law requires all births and deaths to be formally reported, regardless of whether the infants are born alive or stillborn, as failure to do so is a criminal offense .

In Zimbabwe, the Births and Deaths Registration Act (Chapter 5:02) governs the registration of births and deaths. The law requires that all births and deaths be registered within a specified timeframe, and failure to do so can result in penalties .

There have been other cases in Zimbabwe where individuals have been convicted for concealing births. For instance, a 16-year-old girl from Karoi was sentenced to a suspended jail term for trying to conceal the birth and death of her baby .- Source :Zbc news