Lovemore Kadzura
Weekender Reporter
A MAKONI man broke down before a community court as he narrated how his 19-year marriage allegedly collapsed shortly after he sponsored his wife’s nursing studies, only for her to abandon him after being deployed to a health facility in Checheche, Chipinge.
Fungai Changadzo of Madetere Village told Chief Makoni’s community court that he sacrificed to support his wife, Tafadzwa Sabina Shayamunda, throughout her nursing training, believing they were building a better future for their family.
Instead, he claimed, his efforts were rewarded with heartbreak.
Changadzo alleged that on December 14, 2025, he travelled to Checheche to visit Shayamunda at her place of residence, and was stunned to find another man seated on her bed.
The couple has been married for 19 years and has four children.
Changadzo said the encounter triggered a confrontation that exposed deep cracks in their marriage.
“I worked hard to secure a place for her to study nursing and everything appeared normal in our marriage. When I visited her in Checheche, I found a man seated on her bed. I was shocked.
“My wife ran outside and called her workmates. The man tried to escape and I grabbed him. My wife even tried to help him get away. She then insulted me in front of her colleagues, and I felt humiliated,” he said.
Changadzo said Shayamunda dismissed his concerns, insisting that the room belonged to her employer and that he had no authority over what happened there.
“She told me I had no say because the room did not belong to me. Other female nurses joined in and insulted me. Later she claimed the man was a colleague who had come to collect medicine,” he said.
Despite spending two days in Checheche hoping to resolve the matter, Changadzo said the situation only deteriorated.
He later approached his in-laws seeking intervention, but claims no meaningful action was taken.
Changadzo said Shayamunda subsequently returned to their matrimonial home, packed her belongings and left.
However, the matter took a bizarre twist when he accused her of taking two pairs of his underwear during her departure.
“I later discovered that two pairs of my underwear were missing. I consulted traditional healers who told me that my wife could be under spiritual influence, which explains the sudden change in her behaviour.
“I want her and my in-laws to be honest about where they stand, and I also want my underwear returned,” he said.
Shayamunda denied allegations of infidelity and maintained that the man found in her room was merely a work colleague.
“I rent a single room which only has a bed and a wardrobe. There are no chairs. My colleague had come to collect some medicine and sat on the corner of the bed while I fetched it from the wardrobe,” she said.
She accused Changadzo of insulting her parents after the incident and insisted that the marriage was beyond repair.
“I informed my parents that I no longer loved him. I even refused further mediation efforts. I packed my belongings in the presence of our children and left. I never took his underwear,” she told the court.
In a dramatic moment, Shayamunda removed money from her handbag and attempted to hand it over as a traditional divorce token.
However, Changadzo rejected the gesture.
He insisted that any separation should first involve her aunts and that the issue of the missing underwear be resolved.
“I cannot accept the divorce token before proper family procedures are followed and my missing underwear is accounted for,” he said.
In an unusual development, Chief Makoni ordered the couple to consult a local traditional healer regarding the missing garments.
After conducting a traditional consultation, the healer reportedly confirmed that the underwear was indeed missing but cleared Shayamunda of any involvement in its disappearance.
The healer also advised Changadzo to undergo a cleansing ritual for protection against any possible spiritual harm.
The lengthy dispute finally moved towards closure when Shayamunda, in the presence of court officials and family representatives, successfully handed over the divorce token, signalling her intention to formally end the marriage.
Nurse’s new life ends 19-year marriage
