Online Reporter
Tendai Gukutikwa
Weekender Reporter
A MAN from Mutasa has revealed that he attempted to take his own life after discovering that his wife was allegedly involved in an extramarital affair with his boss.
Tinashe Nyamuda, the distressed husband, appeared before Chief Mutasa’s community court, accusing his former boss, Tineyi Mapara, of having an illicit relationship with his wife.
Nyamuda claimed the betrayal drove him to drink poison in a desperate attempt to end his life.
“I drank poison because I could not endure the pain anymore. I was rushed to hospital, and that is when things became even more shocking,” Nyamuda told the court.
He alleged that his wife deliberately withheld crucial information that could have saved him.
According to Nyamuda, doctors asked his wife to bring the container of the poison he had ingested to aid treatment.
Instead, she left home and never returned.
“She wanted me to die. The doctor had to rely on my description of the container to treat me. That is how I survived — otherwise my wife never set foot again at the hospital. Her phone was also switched off,” he said.
Nyamuda recounted that his ordeal began in February when his wife confronted him at his workplace with knowledge of private matters only he and Mapara shared.
“I asked Mapara how my wife had known that. He said he would deal with it, yet this was a well-kept secret,” Nyamuda explained.
His suspicions deepened later that evening when he unexpectedly encountered Mapara at his home.
“While I was bathing, I saw someone on my verandah around 9pm. It was my boss. He claimed he had come to check if we were not fighting. But why would my boss come to my house at night without informing me?” Nyamuda questioned.
According to Nyamuda, Mapara returned the following day and confronted him over the rumours.
“He accused me of going around town telling people that he was having an affair with my wife. I denied it, but from that moment, I became even more suspicious,” said Nyamuda, adding that the situation escalated further when his wife visited her parents, with alleged financial assistance from Mapara.
“A week later, my wife said she wanted to visit her parents, and Mapara paid for her transport. While she was there, she lost her phone, and he bought her another one,” said Nyamuda.
Nyamuda said his wife initially lied about the source of the phone.
“She told me that her mother had bought it. But when I checked the Econet messages, it clearly showed that the line had been registered by Tineyi Mapara,” he said.
He said when confronted, both parties gave conflicting explanations.
“My wife said Mapara forced her to take the phone, while Mapara said she was the one who asked for it. That is when I knew something was amiss,” Nyamuda told the court.
Nyamuda said he later received information from members of the community alleging that the two were indeed in a relationship.
“I was told that my wife and Mapara were having an affair, and that their audio messages had been discovered by Mapara’s wife. It is said Mapara assaulted his wife over the issue,” he said.
He said when he confronted his wife, she denied everything.
“She said she did not know why Mapara’s wife had approached her asking why she was destroying her marriage,” he said.
Nyamuda further told the court that his wife had developed a pattern of openly associating with Mapara, even in his presence.
“He now picks her up from my home at night and brings her back as if she is his wife. She does not even hide it anymore. We can be at the same bar, and she will be there drinking with him. I end up going home alone while she stays behind with him. She comes back late, around 11pm, drunk and smelling of cigarettes,” testified Nyamuda.
He said the situation eventually reached breaking point when his wife packed her belongings and left their matrimonial home.
“One day after coming back late, she decided to collect her clothes and said she was leaving,” he added.
In response, Mapara denied the allegations.
“I was never in a relationship with his wife. He is lying,” he told the court.
He admitted assisting Nyamuda wife, but said it was strictly business-related.
“I only bought her a SIM card which was registered in my name, not a phone. I wanted to communicate with her because she sells tobacco for me. She bought the phone using the money I paid her for the work she does for me,” Mapara said.
Presiding over the matter, Chief Mutasa advised Nyamuda against attempting suicide over love matters.
“If you are facing problems in your marriage, there are elders, family members and community leaders who can assist you. Ending your life is not a solution. You should not take your life because of a woman. Life is more important than any relationship. Women come and go, but your life cannot be replaced,” said Chief Mutasa.
The matter was adjourned to April 26 to allow Nyamuda’s wife and other interested parties to appear before the court.
