Fortunately,
Abigail Button’s suicide attempt was unsuccessful, and was rushed to Victoria
Chitepo Provincial Hospital, where the medical staff saved her life.
The dramatic
events unfolded before Chief Mutasa’s community court last Saturday, where
deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) tests were ordered on clothes allegedly left behind
by Tendai Dzanza, the man implicated in the affair with Button by her husband,
Edmund Mhlanga.
Mhlanga from
Muchena Village, testified that he unexpectedly returned home, only to discover
what he believed to be his wife’s infidelity, and DNA test results are now
expected to shed light on the truth behind his allegations.
“I work and
stay in Mutare, but I usually spend weekends in Muchena with my wife. However,
on May 27, I returned to Mutare, but later went back to Muchena without
informing my wife.
“When I arrived
home, I visited the farm, while my wife was at her nearby vending stall. I
overheard her on the phone, telling someone to come over at night. She said she
would call the relative I stay with in Mutare to confirm that I had gone back.
Luckily, I had not communicated with him,” narrated Mhlanga. Mhlanga said he became suspicious.
“I went into
hiding, and later returned home around 7pm. I saw a man approaching my home
while I was hiding at a distance. The moment he entered the house, the lights
were switched off.
“I crept to the
bedroom window, and heard some noise. I knew that my wife had someone,” he told
the court, before describing how he gained entry and caught the lovebirds
red-handed.
“I entered the
house through a broken window, and found them in-between the sheets in my
bedroom. I found them under the blankets, covering their heads.
I pulled off the blankets, and saw the man I have always been seeing around. The two were naked. I confronted them calmly, without violence. The man grabbed his trousers, and fled, while I went out to summon help from my neighbours,” said Mhlanga.
Unknown to him,
when he left to alert the neighbours, his wife gulped poison out of fear.
“Our child
later called me, saying her mother had drunk poison, and had been rushed to
Victoria Chitepo Provincial Hospital.
“She was
admitted for four days. I reported the matter to the police, but after she was
discharged, she went to stay with our daughter in Mutare. Instead of remorse,
she applied for a protection order against me.
“The presiding
magistrate referred us to this court,” added Mhlanga, as he presented clothes
he alleged were left behind by the wife snatcher.
“I brought this
jacket, T-shirt and shoe that he dropped as he ran away. These are his
clothes,” said Mhlanga, holding up the items before the court.
However, Dzanza
strongly denied the accusations, arguing that the items were not his. He
accused Mhlanga of exaggerating the allegations.
“Those clothes
do not belong to me. I was not caught in his house. On that day, Button phoned
me saying they were having misunderstandings as a couple, and wanted me to come
and help resolve them.
“I only got
there around 5pm, and nothing of that sort ever happened,” he argued.
Button, gave
her own account, admitting she had called Dzanza, but denied the alleged
infidelity.
“I called him
because my husband always accused me of cheating with him. I told him to come
so that the misunderstandings would be cleared.
“It had been
three months since I last slept with him,” she said, and also attributed her
decision to take poison to long-standing abuse by her bubby.
“I took poison
because I could not take it anymore. My husband is abusive and constantly calls
me promiscuous, yet I am faithful to him. I am the one who buys him clothes. I
took the poison out of frustration, not because he caught me red-handed,” she
told the court.
Chief Mutasa
expressed concern over the conflicting accounts presented by the trio.
“Your
testimonies do not add up. We are not here to coerce anyone into admitting to a
crime they did not commit.
“Since Dzanza
denies ownership of the clothes, this matter is far from over. We will conduct
DNA tests on the clothes to uncover the truth,” Chief Mutasa declared,
addressing both Dzanza and Button.
He issued a
stern warning, emphasising that the DNA results will dictate the next course of
action.
“If the tests
prove Dzanza owns the clothes, there will be severe consequences. We don’t
tolerate individuals wasting this court’s time,” Chief Mutasa admonished.
The dramatic
case, which has captivated the attention of villagers, remains ongoing. Manica
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