Online Reporter
Sunday News Reporter
Relatives of Faith Masina from Makokoba have come forward to the media, alleging that they are being terrorised and harassed by her husband, Mandla Luphahla, a prominent businessman and well-known member of the Zanu-PF party in Bulawayo.
The family’s distress stems from a long history of abuse that began with Faith’s forced marriage to Luphahla in 2012, following a traumatic incident in 2007, when she was reportedly raped and impregnated by her uncle.
According to a family member, the marriage to Luphahla was primarily a ‘business transaction’, facilitated by his financial influence.
“He used his financial muscle to further convince the family to give him Faith as his wife,” the relative recounted, emphasizing the significant age difference between the couple.
Despite Faith’s resistance to the union, she was coerced into the marriage, which quickly devolved into a nightmare of abuse.
The family member revealed that Faith was subjected to marital rape, leading to a pregnancy, and that Luphahla was an abusive husband who frequently beat her.
“He would boast that he was untouchable because of his connections within the police,” the relative stated.
Even when Faith attempted to escape back to her family, some relatives returned her to Luphahla after reportedly accepting bribes from him.
Compounding the tragedy, rumours began to circulate during her marriage that Faith was a lesbian.
Everything escalated when Luphahla discovered Faith being intimate with her female lover in their home.
The family member disclosed, “When he caught them, he beat up Faith and vowed to continue until she became straight.”
This abuse ultimately forced Faith to run away, and her current whereabouts remain unknown to her family.
In the aftermath, Luphahla has reportedly intensified his harassment of Faith’s relatives, accusing them of knowing her location.
He has allegedly leveraged his police connections to open a case against Faith for practicing lesbianism, causing the family to feel increasingly vulnerable.
“Whenever we tried to report Luphahla’s harassment to the police, they would just dismiss us, As is Faith’s brothers, Choice Masina and Samuel Dube were beaten and left for dead by Luphahle and his gang, they went to report the attack to the police and were both dismissed,” the relative lamented.
The family is now appealing for help, hoping to raise awareness about Faith’s plight and the ongoing harassment they face from Luphahla. They seek justice and protection against the businessman’s threats, as they continue to worry about Faith’s safety and well-being.
