Back from SA, but hubby has a new wife

Tendai Gukutikwa
Weekender Reporter
A WOMAN who left her matrimonial home for South Africa eight years ago after accusing her husband of infidelity returned recently expecting to reclaim her place in the marriage, only to discover that her husband had moved on and married another woman.
The dramatic family dispute unfolded before Chief Mutasa’s community court last Saturday, where Marcia Majarira insisted that Farai Chiteshi remains her lawful husband despite their lengthy separation.
Majarira said she was driven away by Chiteshi’s alleged serial infidelity, claiming he openly maintained relationships with several women and even introduced some of them to her.
“He was involved with other women and would even introduce them to me. At one point, he had two girlfriends. He took his clothes and blankets and went to stay with one of them,” she said.
Majarira said the situation deteriorated further when Chiteshi allegedly brought one of his lovers to live at their matrimonial home.
“He eventually forced me out because he wanted one of his girlfriends to stay at our home. He was struggling to pay rentals for all his lovers, so he brought one of them into my house,” she alleged.
Following the breakdown of the relationship, Majarira said she initially returned to her parents’ home before relocating to South Africa, where she remained for several years.
She accused Chiteshi of allowing another woman to use her household property during her absence, resulting in some of it being damaged.

“He was using my furniture with another woman. Some of my furniture was left outside and destroyed by the rains. That hurt me because I worked hard for that property,” she said.
The emotional hearing took a poignant turn when Majarira raised concerns over the welfare of their children, accusing Chiteshi of failing to provide adequate support.
“I also want closure regarding our children because he has not been taking care of them or supporting them. All these years he kept telling me he would come and get us, but he never came,” she said before breaking down in tears.
Despite the separation, Majarira maintained that she still loves Chiteshi and regards their marriage as intact.
“I still love my husband. I am still known by his surname and, to me, our marriage never ended,” she said.
She argued that the union had never been formally dissolved and questioned the legality of Chiteshi’s relationship with another woman.
“We are still legally married, and the type of marriage we contracted does not allow him to marry another woman while still married to me. Yet he is now living with another wife,” she said.
However, Chiteshi painted a different picture of the events that led to the separation.
He admitted having extramarital affairs, but denied forcing Majarira out of the matrimonial home.
“When she found out that I was having affairs, I paid an appeasement, but she still left for her parents’ home,” he said.
Chiteshi said he only realised she had left when he returned from work and found her belongings being packed by her brother.
“I came back from work and found her brother loading her property. He told me that her parents had sent him, and that if I wanted her back, I should follow them to their home,” he said.
Chiteshi said he spent two years trying to reconcile before eventually giving up.
“For two years I kept looking for my wife. I only stopped after her father told me to stop. For the following six years we had no contact, so I moved on with my life,” he said.
He also rejected accusations that he had abandoned his children, insisting that he made efforts to support them after Majarira’s departure.
While acknowledging their shared past, Chiteshi was firm that he no longer wished to revive the marriage.
“She has been away from me for too long. I no longer want her as my wife,” he said.
His sister, Sarah Chiteshi, supported his version of events, stating that family members had tried to locate Majarira after she left.
“We went to her parents’ home and were told she had gone to South Africa. We were promised that we would be informed when she returned. She has come back after eight years and now wants to continue as if nothing happened. That is not reasonable,” she said.
In his ruling, Chief Mutasa advised Chiteshi to formally dissolve the marriage through the courts, warning that he could be committing bigamy by cohabiting with another woman while still legally married.
The traditional leader also directed Majarira to seek recourse through the maintenance court if she was pursuing financial support for the children.