Online Reporter
Tendai Gukutikwa
Weekender Reporter
A MUTARE man says he has spent the past three years living in fear, allegedly enduring regular assaults at the hands of his wife, who he claims attacks him with a wooden cooking stick and has left his body covered in scars and bite marks.
The disturbing allegations were raised recently before Chief Mutasa’s community court, where Lloyd Samanyanga appeared seeking intervention.
Court attendees reportedly observed swelling on his face as he recounted what he described as years of domestic abuse.
Samanyanga said the violence began shortly after he married Dorcas Dzvairo in 2023, and has persisted despite repeated efforts by both families to resolve the couple’s disputes.
“My wife is very abusive. Ever since I married her, I have never known peace. I sought help from my parents, and they tried talking to her, but nothing changed. I also reported the matter to her parents, who intervened several times, but the assaults continued,” he said.
Samanyanga initially believed the tensions in their marriage stemmed from the couple’s difficulties in conceiving.
“At first, I thought she was frustrated because we were struggling to have children. Later, we were blessed with a child, and I hoped things would improve, but nothing changed. Instead, I continued to be beaten as if I were a thief in my own home,” he said.
He said the situation became so serious that his in-laws arranged for the couple to seek help from a faith healer in an effort to address the persistent conflict.
Samanyanga said the healer attributed their marital problems to spiritual issues and recommended certain traditional processes, which the family allegedly followed.
“We were taken to a faith healer, who said my wife was not supposed to be married because she was spiritually married to a goblin. Her parents confirmed what the healer said. They were told there were traditional rituals that should have been performed before she got married. We followed that advice and, after that, she fell pregnant and we were later blessed with a child. But the beatings never stopped,” he said.
Samanyanga further alleged that many of the disputes were triggered by rumours and comparisons made by his wife’s friends.
“She believes everything people tell her. She listens to rumours and then attacks me without giving me a chance to explain myself. She accuses me of giving all my salary to my mother instead of taking care of my family, yet the truth is that I do not even earn enough money,” he said.
He described a recent incident, which he said occurred while he was unwell, as one of the most severe assaults he has suffered.
“Just last week, I was not feeling well and was playing with our child when she attacked me. She used a wooden cooking stick to beat me and also bit me on different parts of my body. My face is still swollen because of that assault. These beatings happen regularly,” he said.
Samanyanga also revealed that he had previously reported an assault case at Penhalonga Police Station, but later withdrew the charges in the hope of saving his marriage.
“I withdrew the charges because I love my wife and wanted to preserve our marriage. Looking back now, I realise nothing changed after I dropped the case,” he said.
He further accused his wife of excessive alcohol consumption, claiming it contributed to her alleged violent behaviour.
“She drinks alcohol, and I believe it influences the way she behaves. She values her friends more than she values me. Whenever I suggest that we visit her parents in Buhera so they can help resolve our problems, she refuses because she does not want to leave her friends,” he said.
Dzvairo dismissed the allegations levelled against her, accusing her husband and his relatives of working together to damage her reputation.
“He is lying. He and his family are trying to paint me as a bad person. The things they are saying about me are not true. I do not drink alcohol,” she said.
Turning the tables on her husband, Dzvairo accused Samanyanga of failing to adequately provide for the family, saying financial struggles were at the heart of their marital problems.
“He hardly brings money home to support the family. Whenever I ask him for money, he tells me that providing a roof over our heads and food is enough, and that I should not ask for anything else. My children do not know what their father’s money looks like, yet he is well known at local shops for spoiling himself,” she alleged.
Dzvairo further claimed that the couple’s relationship had broken down to the point where they were no longer intimate.
“It has now been two months since we last had sex,” she said.
Her remarks drew an immediate response from Chief Mutasa, who questioned whether a healthy intimate relationship was possible in a marriage characterised by constant conflict.
“Would anyone enjoy intimacy when a cooking stick is constantly hanging over him?” asked the chief.
Samanyanga’s niece, Patience Kaisa, supported his account, telling the court that she had personally intervened in several disputes between the couple.
“I have stopped many of their fights. This woman also confronted and attacked Samanyanga’s mother and prevented her from seeing her grandchild. I have referred them to the police and even to the Ministry of Women’s Affairs in an effort to get help,” she said.
Kaisa claimed her uncle had suffered numerous injuries over the course of the marriage.
“If you see the scars on his body, you will feel sorry for him. He is currently staying at my house because he is afraid of returning home. After one of the recent disputes, her father was called to intervene, but instead of helping to resolve the situation, he told Samanyanga to fight back,” she said.
After hearing submissions from both parties, Chief Mutasa condemned all forms of domestic violence, and urged the couple to seek legal and family intervention before the situation deteriorated further.
“Marriage is not a boxing ring. Violence has no place in a home. The two families must come together and find a lasting solution to these problems,” he said.
The traditional leader also encouraged Samanyanga to formally report any alleged assaults to the police so that the matter could be handled through the appropriate legal channels.
“If there has been violence, it should be reported to the police. The law must be allowed to take its course while the families work towards resolving their differences,” said Chief Mutasa.
