Daniel
Mwashaireni told Harare Civil Court Magistrate Ms Johanna Mukwesha the abuse he
endured at the hands of his wife, Linda Jena, since learning the truth.
“I was betrayed
beyond words. I lived all these years believing I was a proud father,
sacrificing everything for my children. I paid school fees, bought uniforms,
fed them and performed my role. But all this time, I was just playing father to
children that were not mine,” he said.
He said his
wife has been using harassment, threats and even physical violence to force him
to continue providing financial support for the children, demanding US$350 per
child monthly.
According to
Mwashaireni, the painful revelation came after years of suspicion and growing
tension in his marriage.
Mwashaireni
said he had long suspected that something was amiss due to the lack of
resemblance and several conflicting statements made by his wife over the years.
“She never
apologised to me. Instead, she became aggressive, called me useless and tried
to manipulate me emotionally,” he said.
“When that
didn’t work, she started threatening me and sending boys to my house. I have
even been followed in the streets and she is punishing me for exposing the
truth.”
Despite the
pain of betrayal, Mwashaireni insists that he is not heartless and that his
anger is not directed at the children, but at the physical and emotional abuse
he has endured from his wife.
“I raised them
with love. I will always care for them in some way, but I cannot be forced to
pay $700 every month for a lie,” he said.
Jena is said to
have made several attempts to get community leaders and even police officers
involved, accusing Mwashaireni of neglect and emotional abuse.
Mwashaireni
added that continuing to support children he did not father under pressure and
violence is both unjust and traumatic.
“She wants to
keep destroying my peace to the extent that I have moved out of the house,
trying to focus, but she follows me,” he said.
“She insults me
on the phone and now says I should face her family if I stop paying for the
children.”
Mwashaireni
told the court that his focus is on finding peace and closure and that he wants
to rebuild his life.
Jena, however,
denied the allegations of physical abuse against her husband, insisting that
Mwashaireni owes her and the children for the life and comfort he provided them
over the years.
“My children
know that he is their father and no one else. I do not have anywhere to go with
them therefore, he must accept me like that,” she said.
She revealed
that if her husband throws her out of the house, her other children will suffer
since they will need a mother figure.
Jena also told
the court that Mwashaireni is only fabricating lies about abuse as a way to
chase her away.
After
considering all testimonies, the court favoured Mwashaireni and granted the
order.
Both parties
were advised to seek counselling to resolve their problems. Herald
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