A Mutasa woman accuses her husband of destroying their marriage through abuse, infidelity, and repeatedly infecting her with sexually transmitted infections, which he allegedly refuses to seek treatment for.
The husband,
however, claims she is having an affair with their village head, whom she
insists is merely a church elder.
The contentious
case between Eveline Nyamakari and her husband, James Frank, was brought before
Chief Mutasa’s community court, following years of what both parties described
as persistent fighting in their home.
The couple, who have four children, traded accusations in court. Nyamakari alleged she had endured violence, humiliation, and destruction of her property.
“I having
recurring STIs which he infects me with. They recur because he refuses to seek
medical treatment. He engages sex workers and cheats with other people’s wives.
I have all the evidence,” she said.
She also denied
having an affair with Village head Mutowo, saying he was merely her church
elder.
“My husband is
very abusive. He gaslights me and accuses me of dating the village head. In
every argument, Mutowo’s name comes up,” she said, also accusing her husband of
destroying her property.
“My husband
even went to the extent of burning down my wooden tuck-shop, while accusing me
of having an affair with the village head. I opened the tuck-shop after my
brother gave me the money to set it up,” she said.
Nyamakari
claimed her husband’s promiscuity was the source of the tension, but he shifted
the blame, making her believe her church attendance with Mutowo was the
problem.
“The problem is
that I go to church with Mutowo, with whom my husband is not in good books
with. He asked me to stop going to that church because he hates him. He claims
that female members of our church are of loose morals,” she said.
Frank, an
illegal miner, denied being the aggressor in their relationship, claiming that
he reacts to provocation from his wife.
“I am not an
abusive husband; I will only be retaliating. This woman calls me a pauper and
insults my mother, saying that I am a son of a sex worker. That is how I end up
being angry and assault her. She does not know how such disrespectful words
hurt,” he told the court.
He said
suspicions of his wife’s relationship with the village head were widely shared
by the community.
“She is very
close to him, and a lot of other people hold the same suspicions. She does not
cook or wash my clothes, and all she cares about is her tuck-shop and making
money, which is never used in the household. I only eat once per day, around
3pm. She goes to church without cooking for me, but has a canteen business at
her tuck-shop. She tells her workers not to give me food because I do not pay.
I am always hungry, and this is why I think she is in love with her church
elder,” said Frank.
He, however,
did not deny being promiscuous and infecting his wife with STIs, when Chief
Mutasa confronted him.
Instead, he
softly asked for forgiveness from his wife.
Nyamakari
rejected claims that she does not cook for him, insisting that she always make
efforts to take good care of him.
“I love my
husband, but he is the one who takes advantage of me. I serve him food, but
leaves home without eating or saying anything. I put hot water for him to bath,
but he ignores it. I bought him a smartphone and he gave it to his girlfriend,
who later phoned me saying she was given the phone. I am in pain,” she said.
In a stern
warning to Frank during the hearing, Chief Mutasa said:
“You cannot
stand here and accuse your wife of infidelity when you have been the one
disrespecting your marriage vows. I have heard how you were reprimanded before
for hiring the services of prostitutes and infecting your wife with STIs. You
have a wife and four children – you should be building a family – not
destroying it with your recklessness. As a man, you must lead with
responsibility, not abuse and suspicion.”
Chief Mutsas
also reminded Frank that love in marriage was not a licence to exploit a
partner’s patience and commitment.
“Do not take
advantage of your wife’s love for you. You are accusing her without proof while
you have been caught red-handed cheating. That is unfair. A man who loves his
wife protects, provides for and respects her, and not accuse her of every
wrongdoing because of personal grudges with other people. If the village head
is her church elder, that does not mean he is her lover. You need to separate
your personal quarrels from your marriage,” he said.
Turning to
Nyamakari, Chief Mutasa advised her to seek formal help over the abuse
allegations.
“If you are
being assaulted, you must go to the police and report it. Do not suffer in
silence because you think it will pass. Violence in the home destroys families.
It must stop, and it must stop now,” he said.
He further
urged the couple to undergo counselling to address their communication
breakdown and constant infighting. Manica Post
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