Online Reporter
Tendai Gukutikwa
Weekender Reporter
A MARRIED Nyanga woman has been accused of crossing the line with her son’s widowed father-in-law, sparking gossip and outrage in the community.
Patricia Chipako, whose husband works in Harare, was dragged before Chief Mutasa’s community court last Saturday after allegations surfaced that she shares constant companionship — and regular motorbike rides — with Sekuru Pedzisayi Kacherera, a widowed grandfather and self-proclaimed prophetic healer.
Her son-in-law, Simbarashe Makoto, accused Chipako of meddling in his marriage, claiming the unusual closeness has caused tension since his wedding. Both Chipako and Kacherera denied any romantic involvement, but relatives, neighbours, and traditional leaders argued their relationship goes far beyond normal in-law conduct.
The case has since become the talk of Nyanga, with whispers of an “uncomfortably close” bond fuelling community gossip and drawing sharp criticism.
“When I married her daughter, she made it clear that no matter what happened between my wife and me, I should never stop my wife from going to Sekuru Kacherera for prayers. Every time she comes to our home, she is accompanied by him. Wherever she goes, he seems to be there. People have started asking questions because they are always together,” he told the court.
Simbarashe alleged that the pair frequently inserted themselves into his marriage, often worsening disagreements between him and his wife.
“Whenever they interfere, my wife and I end up fighting. Their involvement has caused many problems in our relationship,” he claimed, adding that the situation escalated after a domestic dispute between him and his wife allegedly resulted in Chipako arriving to collect her daughter from their matrimonial home.
Simbarashe said some of his belongings disappeared during the process.
“They took two of my shirts and a pair of trousers. Later, I discovered that the clothes had been left at Sekuru Kacherera’s home. I do not know what they intended to do with them. People talk about spiritual rituals and I became afraid to wear the clothes after hearing where they had been taken,” he said.
His father, Paul Makoto, supported his son’s version of events, and told the court that the incident had deepened suspicions surrounding Chipako and the prophet.
“My daughter-in-law left home after a fight, and Patricia came to collect her belongings. Unfortunately, some of my son’s clothes ended up in the bags. The clothes were later found at the prophet’s home. When I contacted Patricia and asked her to return them, she told me she wanted to help my son spiritually,” he said.
Paul said the friendship between Chipako and Sekuru Kacherera had become a frequent topic of discussion within the family.
“People are talking because they are always seen together. It is not the kind of friendship people are used to seeing between in-laws,” he said.
Sabhuku Dozva told the court that while he could not confirm any romantic relationship between the pair, their closeness had become a matter of public discussion.
“I cannot say they are lovers because I have no evidence of that, but what I can say is that many people in the community are uncomfortable with how close they are,” he said.
The village head said the pair’s behaviour had attracted attention because of their family connection and the frequency with which they were seen together.
“This is a married woman whose husband lives in Harare and a widower who is related to her through marriage. People constantly see them travelling together and spending time together,” he said.
Sabhuku Dozva said such a relationship naturally fuels speculation in a rural community.
“They are known as best friends. It is not common to see a mother-in-law and father-in-law becoming this close, and that is why people continue talking,” he said, adding that he intended to summon Chipako and Sekuru Kacherera to his own court for further discussions.
Sekuru Kacherera denied that he was in love with Chipako and stated that he was only close to her because their children are married.
“Yes, we do ride the motorbike together, but I will not be holding her, I will be holding the carrier. I do not know why people insist that we are in love. We are just respectful relatives. I treat her with respect and she does the same to me,” he said.
Chipako, however, firmly rejected suggestions that she was romantically involved with the widower.
She admitted that she often travelled with Sekuru Kacherera on his motorbike, and frequently sought his spiritual guidance, but insisted there was nothing improper about their relationship.
“I do not hug him or behave inappropriately with him as people are claiming. We are simply friends and I consult him for spiritual assistance. That is the only reason we spend time together,” she told the court. She argued that the Makoto family itself had previously trusted the prophet enough to involve him in family matters.
“They were the first people to send my daughter to him for prayers. I only continued consulting him because he had already been helping with issues affecting my daughter,” she said, adding that the bags containing her daughter’s belongings were left at the prophet’s home purely for convenience. “We had several bags and his home was the nearest place where we could leave them temporarily. We intended to collect them later,” she said.
Chief Mutasa urged Chipako to avoid interfering in her daughter’s marriage and encouraged the young couple to work towards resolving their differences.
He also advised Chipako and Sekuru Kacherera to maintain a respectful relationship.
He noted that despite their disputes, both husband and wife had indicated that they still loved each other and wanted their marriage to survive.
