Online Reporter
Spiwe Sarakunze
Herald Reporter
A HARARE man has won a protection order against his ex-wife after their custody battle spilled into the courts.
Callington Chiromo appeared before the Harare Civil Court magistrate, Mr Ashton Dube, accusing his ex-wife, Sithulisiwe Matibire, of using violence and manipulation to take their children by force and attempting to extort money from him.
Chiromo said Matibire has been physically and verbally abusive in her relentless attempts to gain full custody of their children.
“My ex-wife does not have the children’s best interests at heart. She is only interested in getting money from me, not to support the kids, but to spend recklessly with her boyfriend,” he said.
“Whenever I refuse to give her extra cash, she resorts to violence and threats.”
He alleged that Matibire has repeatedly stormed into his home unannounced, causing chaos and threatening him while using the children as a tool to control and harass him.
In his court application, Chiromo narrated a series of disturbing incidents, stating that his ex-wife once arrived with relatives and tried to forcibly remove the children from his care.
When he tried to reason with her, he said she allegedly became aggressive, hurling insults before physically attacking him in front of the minors, leaving the children frightened and traumatised.
Chiromo explained that he has been the primary caregiver for the children since their separation, ensuring that their needs are met, including school fees, food, and clothing.
However, he claims that Matibire frequently interferes, disrupting the children’s routine and well-being.
“Our children are still minors; their ages are thirteen, eight, and four. They are emotionally disturbed due to their mother’s behaviour,” he said.
“She abandoned them at first; now that I am taking good care of them, she is coming back to hurt them.”
The father of three further alleged that his ex-wife has been attempting to milk him dry by demanding unreasonable amounts of money, far beyond what is required for the children’s upkeep.
According to him, she has no stable source of income and is allegedly using the custody dispute as a way to pressure him into giving her more money.
“I have no problem supporting my children. They are my responsibility, and I will always provide for them. “What I refuse to do is bankroll my ex-wife’s reckless lifestyle,” Chiromo said.
Chiromo also claimed that Matibire has been poisoning the children’s minds against him, telling them lies to make them resent him.
This, he said, has created unnecessary emotional stress for the children and strained his relationship with them.
Matibire denied the allegations, insisting that Chiromo was fabricating lies to tarnish her image and deny her access to the children.
She argued that, as the children’s mother, she had every right to see and be with them, and that her actions were motivated by love and concern, not financial greed.
“He wants to paint me as a bad mother because he knows that will work in his favour,” she charged.
“All I want is to be with my children and make sure they grow up in a stable environment. He is just bitter and controlling.”
The court heard that the conflict between the two had been escalating for months, with both parties fighting for custody.
She explained that she has been suffering because she only wants to see her minor children.
The court urged both parties to prioritise the welfare of the children and warned them against using the minors as pawns in their personal battles.
The magistrate emphasised that the court’s decision would be based solely on what was in the best interest of the children.
Chiromo was granted the protection order, while Matibire was advised to approach the appropriate court for custody and to stop physically, emotionally and verbally abusing her ex-husband.
