Online Reporter
Tendai Gukutikwa
Weekender Reporter
AN old Mutare man has been living as a slave in his 13-year marriage, suffering repeated assaults and emotional torment at the hands of his wife.
Appearing before Chief Mutasa’s community court last week, Julius Mtetwa said his wife, Caroline Manyuchi, physically and emotionally abused him since the first day of their marriage.
Mtetwa said his marriage was miserable, adding that his wife was convicted and jailed on several occasions for assaulting him.
“She was previously convicted and sent to jail for her endless assaults. When we separated, she kicked me out of my own house and I complied.
“For the past two years, I have been staying somewhere. I am now suffering from erectile dysfunction. I cannot sleep with anyone, and I do not know what kind of spell she used on me,” he said.
He added that his wife was also notorious in their community for snatching other women’s husbands.
“A concerned neighbour came to where I was staying, and told me that she was snatching other women’s husbands. I went there and found her in bed with a man identified as Bismarck,” he said.
Mtetwa said his wife reacted violently when he confronted her, destroying his personal documents and academic certificates.
“She tore my academic certificates, and destroyed my identity documents, including my driver’s licence. I went to her father, and told him that I no longer wanted his daughter,” said Mtetwa.
He said Manyuchi mocked him for his age, and claimed she wanted a younger man.
“She told me I was old and now wants a fresh and young man. She has turned my home into a shebeen where people drink and merry-make. I do not know what to do anymore, a reason why I approached this court,” Mtetwa told the court.
Mtetwa also revealed that after he gave her a divorce token, Manyuchi used it to buy groceries instead of accepting the separation.
However, Manyuchi denied the allegations, accusing her husband of fabricating the story to tarnish her reputation.
“These are all lies. The men who stay at my house are illegal gold panners who live there with their wives. They are not my lovers. I never ‘tied’ his private parts, and it has been three years since he left home. I do not know where he is staying,” she said.
She insisted that she was not responsible for his alleged erectile dysfunction, and maintained that she had remained focused on taking care of their three children since their separation.
The couple’s 13-year union, which was once regarded as stable by neighbours, has now become a public scandal, leaving the community divided over who is telling the truth.
During the hearing, Chief Mutasa advised Mtetwa to seek medical assistance for his health problems, rather than assuming that he had been ‘tied’.
“You need to go to the hospital and get proper medical attention for your condition. Do not jump to conclusions before finding out what the real issue is,” said the chief.
He also urged Manyuchi to consider applying for maintenance for their three children if she was struggling to support them alone.
“You both have responsibilities towards your children. If you are no longer together, then the issue of maintenance must be handled properly so that the children do not suffer,” said Chief Mutasa.
The chief further warned both parties to desist from publicly humiliating each other, and to allow the legal and traditional systems to handle their divorce proceedings peacefully.
Chief Mutasa adjourned the matter to allow both parties to seek further counselling and medical assessment.
