The Harare high school mathematics teacher who was filmed brutally assaulting a Lower Sixth student has escaped serving a jail term after a magistrate ordered him to perform unpaid work.
Harare magistrate Judith Taruvinga ordered Talent Chingwaru (39), a teacher at Harare Einstein Tuition Centre, to perform 630 hours of unpaid work at Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals starting tomorrow morning.
Chingwaru was initially jailed for 36 months but 18 months were set aside for five years on condition of good behaviour.
The remaining months were commuted to 630 hours of community service.
Chingwaru was convicted on his own plea of guilt and immediately appealed for a lighter sentence from the court, saying he was emotionally stressed when he committed the offence.
Shambadzeni Fungura, appearing for the State, had called for a custodial sentence that deters would-be offenders.