16 years of love lost in an instant

Tendai Gukutikwa
Weekender Reporter

A 16-YEAR relationship has ended in a heartbreak for a Chimanimani woman after her live-in partner married a new wife.

Lucia Shahwe recently poured out her emotions before Chief Saurombe’s community court, accusing her partner, Simba Matsekete and his father, Paul Matsekete, of exploiting her vulnerability and humiliating her after nearly two decades together.

“I have stayed with this man for 16 years, thinking that he was my husband. We have two children together.

“I have cooked, washed, and cared for him and his family, building a home together, yet no bride price was paid for me,” said Shahwe.

“I was shocked last month when his relatives called me, not to pay my roora, but to inform me that Simba had paid the full bride price for a new wife. Imagine, it broke my heart,” she said.

Shahwe, who supports the family through her small grocery shop, said she never pushed for the bride price, believing love and loyalty would suffice.
“I never pressured them, thinking that, given my circumstances, having lost my father and brothers, it might take time.

“However, I later discovered that they never intended to formalise our relationship.

“What hurts most is that his father, Paul Matsekete, backed him in marrying another woman, even accompanying him to pay her bride price. I am left with nothing, but pain after all these years,” said Shahwe, fighting back tears.

She added that her calls to Matsekete on the day he paid the new bride’s roora were ignored.

“They switched off their phones. They did not want me to know. I heard it from neighbours and relatives. What kind of betrayal is that after 16 years?

I never imagined the man I have stood by all those years will do this to me,” she said.

Simba defended his actions, citing long-standing issues with Shahwe as the reason for not paying her roora.

“Initially, she told me that her family did not want the bride price paid. She even cast doubt on the paternity of our children, which made me uncertain.

I started doubting their paternity. That is why I was never settled, and did not commit to making it official,” he claimed, further alleging that they had previously attempted to save for her roora, but Shahwe would change her mind at the last minute, suggesting they use the money for other expenses.

However, when questioned about his doubts regarding the children’s paternity, Simba’s tone shifted.

“I suppose they are mine. They resemble me. Perhaps I was angry when I made those previous statements,” he said, appearing to retract his earlier claims.

Matsekete echoed his son’s initial claims, arguing that he had once inquired about the unpaid roora for Shahwe.

“I asked my son why he had not paid the bride price, and he claimed that Shahwe had refused. I did not want to interfere, but last year, her uncle confronted us, asking why nothing had been done. It was the first time we heard from her family. Previously, we were told that she did not want lobola paid, but now she is threatening to harm herself if we do not pay it,” he said.

However, Shahwe vehemently disputed the claims, calling them lies designed to justify their actions.

“They are coming up with flimsy excuses. If I truly did not want my roora to be paid, why did my first husband pay it without any issues? I was previously married, and roora was paid.

“I never said such things. They never intended to formalise our relationship,” she said angrily.

Shahwe also rejected Simba’s claims of saving money for roora, arguing that he only provided US$50 monthly for household expenses, leaving her with barely US$5 for personal use.

“I run a shop that sustains us, paying rent, school fees, and food. I do everything. Yet, after all this, he marries someone else? I feel used,” she said, further demanding that Simba and his family pay her bride price to restore her dignity and secure her children’s future.

“I want what is due to me, not just for myself, but for our children. They deserve to know that their mother was married with respect. I am tired of being treated as insignificant. I gave this man the best years of my life,” she thundered.

Chief Saurombe advised Simba to prioritise paying Shahwe’s bride price before proceeding with other plans, to which he agreed to pay by the end of July.

Chief Saurombe cautioned: “You cannot stay with someone for 16 years, and pretend that she does not deserve a formal marriage. There are children involved, and their future must be protected. What if she passes away today, what will you do?”