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Angeline Mpofu Court Reporter
A 22-YEAR-OLD woman is now living on the streets after relatives forced her to marry her late aunt’s husband who has since dumped her for another woman.Siduduzile Ngwenya of New Magwegwe in Bulawayo wept bitterly in court yesterday as she narrated how she was pushed to share a bed with Panya Ngwenya, believed to be in his 60s, in 2009.
The two appeared before magistrate Victor Mpofu seeking termination of their five year long customary union.
Siduduzile pleaded with the court to grant her a share of the couple’s property saying Ngwenya had also infected her with HIV.
“This man is dumping me after he impregnated and infected me with HIV. My relatives forced me to get married to him when my aunt passed away because they wanted more lobola from him,” she said.
“I was forced to quit school when I was in Form Four and got married to him. He was already old enough to be my grandfather. In fact I dropped out of school because of pressure from my family.”
The distressed woman said Ngwenya married her at 17 and promised to take care of her and provide for all her needs.
“When he took me into my aunt’s bed he promised to take care of me. Now that he has enjoyed and used me in bed for the past five years he is dumping me,” she said with tears rolling down her cheeks.
Siduduzile said Ngwenya took advantage of her circumstances as an orphan and accused him of teaming up with his sisters to chase her out of the house.
“He sends his sisters to chase me out of the house because they know that I have no one to turn to. I’m now a street kid because I have nowhere to go with his child,” said Siduduzile.
She said Ngwenya was also failing to provide money for their child who required an operation for a heart problem.
“I wonder why he is failing to pay for the operation because he works in South Africa and earns R10,000 a month. He is doing all this because he wants to marry another woman,” she said.
Ngwenya remained silent as his wife narrated her tribulations.
“The issue here is that she cannot get anything from my property because I worked hard for it. I have lost love for her and she can no longer be my wife,” he said.
“When she came into my house I had everything. She did not work for anything except the kitchen unit she bought.”
Magistrate Mpofu granted Ngwenya a share of the property she demanded from her husband.
“Application is granted as per plaintiff’s prayer, each party to bear own costs,” he said.
He granted Siduduzile two cows, three goats, a kitchen unit, fridge and other household items.
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