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In an interview recently, Mr Zondo said he was bitter because he was now almost destitute after being “swindled by the love of his life.” Ms Ncube on the other hand counter-alleged that Mr Zondo cooked up the story to cover up for raping her when they first met.
Narrating his story, Mr Zondo said he first met Ms Ncube in 1996 when she came to Magwegwe Primary School to plead for her two children to attend school without paying fees.
“I was touched by her plight. Her children wore tattered uniforms and looked very needy. I assisted her until we fell in love and I undertook to take care of her and her children,” said Mr Zondo.
He said in 2003, he went to work in the UK in search of money to buy a house and formally marry Ms Ncube.
“I literally lived from hand to mouth as I saved every penny that I could. I sent her money almost every month. I would record the amounts I sent to her in a book together with the five bank accounts I sent the money to,” he said.
Mr Zondo produced the book, which showed that he had sent about £13 627 between 2003 and 2008 to five bank accounts, four of which were in Ms Ncube’s name.
The accounts were at Royal Bank Account Number 2000 159 191 1016, Intermarket 10332121094, Zimbank 511/441659/100, CABS 90313 64285 and a fifth that was under Ms Ncube’s son, David.
“She wrote letters to me several times saying she had bought a residential stand in Pumula South. However, after some years, she wrote to tell me that she had sold the stand and bought a bigger one in Plumtree,” he said.
Mr Zondo said about three days before his return to Zimbabwe, he phoned his “sweetheart” to let her know he was coming home.
“I was very happy that day and I could even imagine her own happi-ness when she heard that I would be coming back to be with her. However, I got the shock of my life when after telling her the good news, she asked me who I was in a cold voice,” he said.
Mr Zondo said he left the UK in a daze and kept telling himself his “lover” was joking.
“My heart nearly stopped when I got into the country and she still maintained I was a stranger to her. I later found out that she had used my money to extend her parents’ house, No 1292 at the ZBS stands in Plumtree. She bought another for herself, which is No 2614, Matendele suburb in Plumtree. I also found out that she bought a car for her boyfriend, who later dumped her and left with the vehicle when he learnt that she was married,” he said.
When Chronicle visited Ms Ncube in Plumtree, she said Mr Zondo was covering up for the rape that led to him being fired as the school head.
“I went to Magwegwe Primary School in 1996 to sort out Social Welfare papers for my children’s fees. Mr Zondo then sent the school messenger in the afternoon to tell me to return as my papers were not in order,” said Ms Ncube.
She said when she went to the school, Mr Zondo asked her to wait and only attended to her towards 5pm.
“Almost everyone had left. He then told me that there was nothing wrong, as he simply wanted the two of us to be lovers. He grappled with me until he pushed a desk that hit me in the stomach. He grabbed the opportunity to rape me,” she said.
Ms Ncube said she started bleeding soon after the rape and her husband took her to Mpilo Central Hospital.
“I could not tell him I had been raped. Apparently, some parents saw the incident through a window whose curtain had fallen off during our tussle. They demonstrated at the school saying they did not want Mr Zondo as he used the office to sleep with prostitutes,” she said.
Ms Ncube said she was told to demand compensation for the rape.
“I did and he took about ZW$1 500 of the school’s money and gave it to me. Shortly afterwards an audit was carried out and he was dismissed after failing to account for the money,” she said.
Ms Ncube said when Mr Zondo was in the UK, he would call her saying he wanted to compensate her further.
“He said he wanted to build a house for us and started sending money to his brother’s son, Nhlonipho Zondo, to buy a stand. After sending enough for a deposit for a residential stand in Pumula South, he failed to send more until the stand was forfeited,” said Ms Ncube.
Online Reporter