Back from SA, found co-wife in bed

Tendai Gukutikwa
Weekender Reporter
A PENHALONGA woman claims that she was left homeless and struggling to support her children after her husband allegedly transferred ownership of their jointly acquired residential stand into his sole name while she was working in South Africa to help provide for the family.
Dorothy Gondo brought her complaint before Chief Mutasa’s community court last Saturday, alleging that her husband, Joseph Chikunguru, unlawfully removed her name from council records and took sole ownership of their stand in Tsvingwe.
Gondo said the stand was purchased in 2003 during their marriage, and was initially registered in her name.
“We bought our stand together in Tsvingwe, but along the way my husband started assaulting me. Whenever this happened, I would flee to my relatives for shelter,” she said.
She recounted that during one of her returns home, she found another woman living at the property.
“On one occasion when I returned, I found another woman there. My husband introduced her as his aunt and I accepted it. Later, I came back again and found Anesu Sarumhungwe sitting on our bed. I asked my husband whether she was his lover and he became violent. He heavily assaulted me and I had to be taken to South Africa for medical treatment,” said Gondo.
Gondo said her move to South Africa was, not only prompted by the need for medical treatment, but also by a desire to earn money to contribute towards the construction of their family home.
She said after returning with building materials, she asked Chikunguru to collect them from Mutare. Instead, she said, he informed her that their relationship was over.
“He simply told me that he was done with me,” she said.
Following the breakdown of their relationship, Gondo said she visited the Mutasa Rural District Council offices to verify ownership of the stand and was shocked by what she discovered.
“When we bought the stand, my name was on the council records. But when I went to council to make inquiries, I discovered it was no longer there, and the stand had been registered in his name.
“He did not give me any divorce token or indication that our marriage had been dissolved. He just told me he was done with me. Now I am struggling with my children. We do not have a home and survive by selling produce on the streets, while he is developing the stand we jointly acquired together with his new mistress,” she said.
However, Chikunguru disputed Gondo’s account, maintaining that although the stand was acquired during their marriage, he was the one who financed the purchase.
“Although we jointly acquired the stand during our marriage, I am the one who provided the money. Her name was initially used when the stand was acquired, but the money belonged to me,” he told the court.
Chikunguru further claimed that Gondo left for South Africa in 2008 against his wishes, despite his objections that she should remain with her family in Zimbabwe.
“I told her I did not agree because we were married and she had a family here, but she insisted and eventually left,” he said.
According to Chikunguru, Gondo later returned and found him in a relationship with Sarumhungwe before leaving again.
“She stayed away for a long time and only came back with these claims in 2026, after I had already developed the stand and built the house to window level. This is a person who left in 2008,” he said.
Chikunguru also argued that the stand had been repossessed by Mutasa Rural District Council after it remained undeveloped beyond the stipulated period. He claimed he subsequently repurchased the property and formalised ownership through a notarial deed registered in his name.
Sarumhungwe, now Chikunguru’s wife, denied allegations that she had broken up the couple’s marriage.
She said: “When I met this man, she had already left him. I did not chase her away from her home or snatch him from her. I married Chikunguru in 2008 after Gondo had already left.”
Chief Mutasa said his court was unable to make a definitive ruling on the ownership dispute without clarification from Mutasa Rural District Council regarding the property’s registration history.
He instructed Gondo to formally engage the local authority and obtain records detailing the original allocation of the stand, the alleged repossession process and the subsequent transfer of ownership.
“The council has the records and must explain what happened to this stand.
“Gondo should make a formal follow-up with the local authority so that the ownership history can be established clearly,” said Chief Mutasa.