South African club suspends midfielder over 'serious' allegations of child abuse

SuperSport United have suspended Kudakwashe Mahachi from all club activities over serious allegations of abusing his four-year-old son.

The 28-year-old Zimbabwean is accused of scalding his young son with boiling water.

The child is said to be from Mahachi’s first marriage, with Maritha Ndlovu, who accuses the midfielder of abusing his son with the help of his current wife Rose Mahachi.

Bulawayo-based lifestyle tabloid B-Metro, reports that Mahachi called his ex-wife in February this year, requesting for the boy to travel to South Africa and temporarily stay with his father.

Apparently, Ndlovu later found out there her son was back in Zimbabwe and staying with Mahachi’s grandmother.

Ndlovu claims that she went to collect her son as soon as she heard he was in the country and saw him heavily bandaged with burns all over the body.

The burns, as the mother alleges, were third degree and reportedly led to the boy’s right foot having to be amputated.

"The journey from Johannesburg to Bulawayo is about 10 hours and he was alone. What kind of father does that to his son? Mahachi has money and he can afford to have his son treated in South Africa,'' she said.

"I took my son to a private surgery and they quickly called an ambulance that took him to Mpilo Hospital."

"The doctor said taking him to the hospital using any other car was not appropriate, but his father put him in a Quantum bus. How cruel can one be?.''