According to Mkuma, he arrived at his house, and found a group of children picking mushrooms and plums and spreading them on the ground in front of his house garage.
“While standing outside the yard, I shouted at the kids and asked them to stop what they were doing, and to vacate my yard,” says Mkhuma.
However, according to Mkhuma, some of the children complied as they ran away, but three of them did not listen and they remained in the yard.
“I then confronted the remaining kids and again asked them to leave, but they ignored me. I then tried to give them a hiding as every parent would do.
“I’m sorry for my actions. I have accepted that I made a mistake and I have learnt from it. I ask everyone offended by my action to accept my sincere apology,” he asks.
Mkhuma says although he feels that the criminal justice went overboard with the sentence, he has accepted the decision of the court.
“I have to pay the penalty for my sin. This is also an indication that the law does take its course, and no one is above the law in this country.
“I acted badly, but I am not a bad person, as portrayed by some forums on different social networking sites. I am also a parent myself. I’m a very open, social and friendly person, and do not discriminate against people based on their skin colours.”
After the parent of the victim laid charges of assault against Mkhuma, he was charged with grievous bodily harm in connection to the assault on the 10-year-old girl.
He appeared in the Vosloorus Magistrate’s Court and he was found guilty of assault.
For his wrong-doing, Magistrate Jurg Vivier ordered Mkhuma to carry out 90 hours unpaid work, at the East Rand Mounted Unit, under the supervision of an officer of the unit.
The child’s mother, Ria Meintjies, says although Mkhuma asks for forgiveness, she is not sure whether she will ever forgive Mkhuma for all the pain and sadness he inflicted on her and her daughter.
“It’s still a shock for me and I pray that God help me in this process of forgiving.”
She declined to comment on the sentence, but thanks the court, especially senior public prosecutor Henk Strydom, for his job well done.
The child’s father, Eben Meintjies says the sentence is very light, and he intends to take further action against the Department of Correctional Services.
“I don’t see this as a sentence, but it’s like saying to the guy, ‘please don’t do that again’,” says Meintjies.
