aurora
Tendai Gukutikwa Weekender Correspondent
A Mutare man is being forced to sell his property to raise lobola money.
Lovemore Mahowa has since sold half of his property to pay part of the outstanding lobola.
He said his in-laws are a thorn in his flesh because of their demands.
Mahowa says his wife, Grace Manungo, is also pushing her family to demand more money from him.
“Whenever they pay us a visit, they threaten to assault me if I do not give them something. I am left with no other option but to sell our household property. It seems her family needs the bride price at all costs, even if it means leaving me with nothing.
“What pains me most is that my wife is the one who exerts pressure on them to come up with the outrageous demands. Each time she calls or visits her family, her brothers will come to our place the next day to make their demands. I am unemployed and I use the little money that I get from my piece jobs to look after my family,” said Mahowa.
“At the rate at which they are demanding lobola, I won’t afford to pay our rentals soon,” he said.
All this was revealed as Manungo was seeking a protection order against Mahowa, accusing him of assaulting and insulting her. She also begged the court to order her husband to stop selling their matrimonial property.
“He sells our property willy-nilly. You just wake up one day to find the stove or fridge missing. When you ask him about it he says he is trying to appease my ‘greedy’ family. He assaults and calls me names. He says my family is milking him dry because of their endless lobola demands.
“However, having my lobola settled is my right. We have been staying together for more than five years, yet he does not want to show appreciation to my parents by paying lobola. He becomes very violent each time my brothers leave, accusing me of having called them to demand the bride price,” said Manungo.
Mr Murendo granted Manungo the protection order against her husband. It bars Mahowa from assaulting, harassing, threatening and calling his wife names.
derick.khumalo