Online Reporter
Tendai Gukutikwa
Weekender Reporter
A CHIKANGA man has sensationally claimed his wife vanished from home for days at a time — only to reappear without explanation — and now suspects she was having an affair with a popular Bocha traditional healer.
The allegations were aired before Chief Mutasa’s community court last Saturday by Ezra Chibvuri, who pleaded for the traditional leader’s intervention after the collapse of his marriage to Linet Makunike.
Chibvuri accused his wife of repeatedly disappearing from their matrimonial home without saying where she was going, before eventually abandoning the marriage altogether.
He said his suspicions first arose when Makunike claimed her mother in Bocha was ill and needed care.
Trusting her story, he allowed her to travel, and kept in touch by phone during the five days she was away. But when she later disappeared for eight days on separate occasions, without any explanation, Chibvuri began to suspect she was secretly involved with the healer.
“I believed what she had told me because she kept updating me while she was away. At that stage, I had no reason to doubt her,” said Chibvuri.
However, his suspicions began shortly upon her return.
Chibvuri said the couple had been seeking alternative accommodation because their previous residence had become unsuitable.
He said Makunike later found another house and travelled alone to make arrangements after he could not accompany her.
When she returned, her behaviour struck him as unusual.
“I was surprised when she immediately took a bath using cold water, something she had never done before. It was completely out of character and it left me wondering whether something unusual had happened,” he said, further alleging that his wife left home again soon afterwards without telling him where she was going.
Chibvuri said when he attempted to follow her, she allegedly fled after noticing him behind her, leaving a bag which, he said, contained traditional charms.
She did not return that day, prompting him to report her missing to the police, and notified relatives from both families.
“I contacted her parents hoping they knew where she was, but both denied having seen her. That is when I realised that something was seriously wrong,” he said, adding that his concerns deepened after he travelled to Bocha with some of her relatives, where her mother denied ever being ill or hosting her daughter during the five days she had claimed to be there.
“That revelation completely changed my understanding of everything because the explanation I had trusted turned out not to be true,” said Chibvuri, adding that he later traced a telephone number his wife had used after she reportedly contacted his sister requesting that someone look after the children.
Following the information obtained through that number, Chibvuri travelled with one of her brothers to Bezel Bridge, where they were directed to the homestead of popular traditional healer, Sekuru Chaburuka.
On arrival, Chibvuri was allegedly told the traditional healer was asleep before learning that his wife was within the premises.
“When I realised she was there, she immediately ran back into the house. This confirmed my suspicions,” said Chibvuri, further alleging that the n’anga initially refused him access to his wife, and only released her after police intervention was threatened.
He also accused some of Makunike’s relatives of being violent during the dispute, forcing him to seek justice through Chief Mutasa’s court rather than handling the matter privately.
He further said his wife left with US$500, although he later recovered the money.
Responding to the allegations, Makunike confirmed she had left her husband, but firmly denied a romantic relationship with Sekuru Chaburuka.
Instead, she said she had sought his assistance because the marriage had become toxic because of persistent domestic violence.
“I did not go there because I was involved with the healer. I was seeking help to save my marriage because I believed there were deeper spiritual problems affecting our relationship,” she said.
Makunike admitted misleading her husband about visiting her mother, explaining that she feared he would refuse to let her consult the healer if she disclosed her actual destination.
She said she was staying with her sister-in-law during the five-day absence.
“I lied because I knew he would stop me from going. The healer is related to my sister-in-law, and I was referred there for assistance. I was told that unresolved family issues from both my mother’s and father’s families were contributing to my marital problems and that certain traditional obligations had to be fulfilled,” she said, adding that one of the men who allegedly confronted Chibvuri during the dispute was connected to her sister-in-law’s family.
Chief Mutasa questioned Makunike over her domestic violence allegations, querying why she had consulted a traditional healer instead of reporting the alleged abuse to the police.
Makunike was caught off-guard and failed to respond.
Chief Mutasa said it would be premature to determine the matter without hearing from all parties mentioned.
He ordered that Sekuru Chaburuka, together with his (Chibvuri) sister, who was also mentioned during testimony, be summoned to appear so they could give their account.
“We cannot reach a fair conclusion after hearing only one side of the story. Those who have been mentioned must appear before this court so that the truth can be established,” said Chief Mutasa, before adjourning the matter to July 11 to allow the cited witnesses to be subpoenaed.
