‘MY SISTER TOOK MY HUSBAND’

Ntombizodwa Moyo
A FAMILY feud worthy of a soap opera exploded at Chief Mutasa’s traditional court after two sisters found themselves fighting over a man.
Mary Muchena says her younger sister, Brenda Makonesa, stole her husband of 26 years, Jeremiah Muchena, leaving her heartbroken and alone.
The dramatic dispute played out before the chief as accusations, counter-accusations and a decades-old paternity secret came spilling into the open.
“My younger sister stole my husband from me and they are now living together,” Mary told the court.
According to Mary, Brenda came to live with the family as a teenager after completing Grade Seven.
“She was only 13 when she came to stay with us during school holidays. Looking back now, I think that is when their relationship started,” she claimed.
Mary said her marriage, registered under the Marriage Act, collapsed in November last year when Jeremiah packed his bags and left. She said previous efforts to save the marriage had failed.
“We even went to court. He said he still loved me, but he never came back home,” she said.
Jeremiah painted a very different picture.
He admitted fathering Brenda’s child, but insisted the affair happened more than two decades ago during a temporary separation from Mary.
“When Mary left home after a dispute over business money, I started a relationship with Brenda. She fell pregnant and the child is now 22 years old,” he told the court. Jeremiah said a DNA test later confirmed he was the father.
He further claimed Brenda’s family pressured him to take responsibility.
However, he denied living with Brenda.
“I live in Harare and she lives in Honde Valley. Just because I left my wife does not mean I am staying with her sister,” he said.
Brenda also rejected claims that she had stolen her sister’s husband.
She said Jeremiah initially denied responsibility for her pregnancy because he feared Mary’s reaction.
“He was scared of my sister. She used to beat him,” alleged Brenda.
She said she later married another man and moved on with her life.
The issue resurfaced years later when her daughter demanded answers about her biological father, leading to the DNA test that confirmed Jeremiah’s paternity.
Brenda admitted that during heated arguments she once threatened to take Jeremiah if the DNA results proved he was the father.
“I said it out of anger because of the insults I was getting,” she said.
As if the love triangle was not dramatic enough, Jeremiah also accused Mary of keeping suspicious items in the house that he believed were linked to rituals.
Despite all the allegations, he insisted: “I still love my wife. We are just going through a rough patch.” Chief Mutasa, however, was unimpressed by claims based on suspicion.
“I do not judge rumours. Bring evidence,” he ruled. The chief advised the couple to consider a legal divorce if reconciliation was no longer possible.