Jilted man locks up, whips ex-lover

Gibson Mhaka
IN a fit of jealousy, a Bulawayo man locked up and whipped his ex-lover after she received a phone call from another man in his presence.

This emerged at the Bulawayo Civil Court where Silinganiso Msimanga had appeared seeking a protection order against her ex-lover Misheck Mahlephu accusing him of being violent.

She said Mahlephu was always assaulting her while accusing her of infidelity.

a�?I was in a relationship with the respondent (Misheck Mahlephu) and from the time we separated he has been abusing me on several occasions, the latest being on 11 November. This was after I answered my phone in his presence and he suspected that I was talking to my boyfriend.

a�?One evening he locked me up in the house and whipped me until 10PM accusing me of having boyfriends and when I went to report the matter to the police that is when they advised me to seek a protection order against him,a�? said Msimanga.

Msimanga further said Mahlephu was always threatening to kill her saying if he did so he would get away with it since he was a former police officer who was trained to kill.

When asked to respond to his ex-lovera��s allegations Mahlephu admitted saying he did it out of anger.

a�?We have been in a relationship for three years. Since we have a child together I always buy her groceries. It happened one day that when she came to collect the groceries she received a phone call from another man in my presence.

a�?As a result I got angry that she was entertaining another man when she was still with me,a�? said Mahlephu.
His response, however, invited the anger of the presiding magistrate Sithembile Ncube who lashed out at him saying he doesna��t have the right to assault his ex-lover after she had decided to move on with her life.

a�?You dona��t have the right to assault her (Silinganiso Msimanga) for taking a decision to move on with her life. If she is no longer interested in you why are you forcing her to be with you? Leave her alone. So you are now ordered not to be violent towards the applicant or threaten her and visit her at her place of residence or workplace,a�? charged the magistrate. .