Online Reporter
LAST week, we published a story of three brothers who have been thrown out of the family home and barred from abusing their 79-year-old mother.
The woman, Faina Bhera, claimed that she was now living in hell at her own house in Mufakose.
Gogo Bhera was forced to seek legal protection from the abuse she was receiving from her own sons, who are all married.
Edson, Simon, and Morris Mususwa had all refused to leave the family home, despite starting their own families, and their mother told a court that they had been abusing her.
One has five children, another has four, and the third has one.
Gogo Bhera said her sons always came back home drunk and disturbed her peace all the time.
She said their abuse left her feeling isolated and neglected as she shared her plight at the Harare Civil Court.
She said even when she served them with summons they chose to disregard the court.
She told the court that all that she wanted was to find peace and to be protected from her wayward sons who were harassing her and refusing to leave the house. Gogo Bhera said she wanted to rent out part of the family home to supplement her income and this was being resisted by her three sons.
With tears in her eyes, she told the court she wanted to accommodate tenants so that she could put food on the table.
The magistrate granted her a protection order.
The three children — Edson, Simon, and Morris— were ordered to stay away from her house at 510 Magandanga Road in Mufakose and were ordered not to harass her.
This story has touched many of our readers as judged by the feedback which has come from them.
As shown on our Readers Feedback slot, many of our readers are sympathising with Gogo Bhera.
They see an elderly woman, who lost her husband and raised her three boys into manhood, being harassed relentlessly by her sons and they feel for her.
They are seeing wild men who are behaving like boys and harassing a woman, who is their mother, whom they should be protecting and taking care of. There are many similar stories around the country and we are happy that the magistrate came up with an order that protects Gogo Bhera and prohibits the three men from living at the family home.
They should move out and stay elsewhere leaving Gogo Bhera in peace.
We agree with her that she should utilise some of the space at her house to raise income, from rentals, which can supplement her earnings and help her put food on the table.
It is very clear that her wayward sons have been failing to take care of her by providing food for her and all that they have been doing is spending their money on booze.
This is a progressive judgment and it will send the right signals everywhere that our elderly people should always be protected — even from their own children.
Mathew Masinge