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Sukulwenkosi Dube-Matutu, Gwanda Correspondent
AN ex-police officer has applied for a protection order against his wife after he accused her of harassing him and ordering him to give up a house that he had just built.
Mr Fanuel Mutale said he had separated with his wife, Ethel Mutale, a teacher at Dingumuzi Primary School in Plumtree and left her with their matrimonial home in the border town. He then bought another stand in Gwanda where he had completed building a two-roomed house.
He said his wife had since ordered him not to move into the new house as she wanted to move her property there.
“I separated with my wife in 2013 after 15 years of marriage and I left her in our matrimonial home in Plumtree and relocated to Gwanda. I bought a stand and started building another house as she was occupying the first one together with our children. I have been renting a place since 2013 while I have been building the new house and now that I have completed two rooms I’m preparing to move into my house.
“To my surprise Ethel is threatening to occupy the house which I’m supposed to stay in and she has warned me against moving my property there. She is also constantly insulting and threatening me, she just doesn’t want to leave me in peace. She won’t rest until she makes me a destitute,” he said.
Mr Mutale said when they separated, his wife dragged him to court demanding maintenance for their three children and he has been complying with the court order but Ethel was still harassing him.
He said upon receiving his lump sum after retiring from the police force last year he gave his wife $10 000 following a court order.
He begged with the court to protect him from his wife and her motive to torment him as he did not have another place to stay.
In her response Ethel said she was still legally married to Mr Mutale and had a right to monitor all their properties including the house in Gwanda as it was still under construction.
She denied making threats to move into the house. She said Mr Mutale was trying to bar her from accessing the property in Gwanda as he wanted to turn the house into a love nest and was planning to stay there with another woman.
Gwanda magistrate Mr Obedience Matare ordered Ethel to desist from insulting, assaulting or harassing her ex-husband. He further allowed her the right to access and monitor their house in Gwanda.
In 2015 Ethel dragged her husband to court demanding a $436 maintenance for their three minor children after accusing him of neglecting his family while supporting his mistress. She said she was struggling with the upkeep of the children as Mr Mutale had stopped paying school fees and buying food for his children.
Mr Mutale was ordered to pay $198 maintenance.-@DubeMatutu
Bongani Ndlovu