Zimbabwean star accused of scolding his son blames his sisters and causes a stir

Zimbabwe international Kudakwashe 'Kuda' Mahachi has a lot on his mind - and football probably isn't one of them. The 28-year-old is currently involved in a court case for allegedly scolding his young son with boiling water, causing severe injuries that led to the child's leg being amputated.

The player, currently on the books of SuperSport United in South Africa, is back in his homeland where he's pleading his innocence - and also giving newspapers a lot to write about with his behaviour.

Mahachi and his wife Rose are public enemies number one and two in Zimbabwe after their 4-year-old son Diego suffered horrific injuries and had to have his leg removed after it was deemed uncurable. The injuries were inflicted on the child after the footballer asked the boy's mother, Maritha Ndlovu, to spend time together and flew the boy to Pretoria.

Mahachi and Rose stopped responding to Ndlovu's calls and texts, instantly causing suspicion and distress to the mother.

"There was no reason for them to block me. I knew something was wrong after I was blocked on WhatsApp and my calls were blacklisted."

The poor woman was shocked to learn that her son has been transferred back to Zimbabwe by a cross-border courier company and to his paternal grandmother's house. Ndlovu had only found out about it when the grandmother called her to inform her that the child was unwell and that she should come to attend to her son immediately.

According to Ndlovu, she rushed over there only to find her boy heavily bandaged and covered in burns. The grandmother told her that the minor had not received any medical attention despite the horrific nature of his wound. Instead, she had been treating him herself.

Maritha accused the former Orlando Pirates midfielder of horrific physical abuse towards the minor. She told iHarare about the severity of Diego's injuries.

"My son is four years old, but he is not stupid and has been talking. He says his father was abusing him. One of his front teeth is missing after his father hit him with some kind of iron bar and he has an injury on the forehead. His back is scourged from being whipped with a phone charger cable by his stepmother. But that is nothing compared to what his father did to him. He told me that his father beat him and then boiled water using a kettle and poured it on him."

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Mahachi has denied all allegations when quizzed by the media, saying that any injuries must have happened in Zimbabwe. He tried to accuse his sisters of wrongdoing for ritual reasons. Still, according to experienced journalist Ezra Tshisa Sibanda, the boy himself told social service workers that his father inflicted the injuries.

Kuda Mahachi is currently in Bulawayo, where the case is before the courts. According to The Chronicle, the winger has visited his sister, one of the witnesses in the case, took her phone and smashed it to "destroy evidence contained within". To make the footballer's situation even worse, he could now face charges of malicious damage to property and tampering with witnesses in a police investigation.

Since the allegations arose, SuperSport suspended Mahachi and confirmed that he won't be given a new contract when his current one expires at the end of the month. Meanwhile, his former club and current Zimbabwean Premier Soccer League leaders Chicken Inn denied rumours that they were looking to re-sign the troubled footballer.

Whatever happens in the court, the poor child will be affected for life. Physical and emotional scars will forever remain with the boy.