Protection order against son

Mercy Ngwebvu
IN a bid to enjoy peace in his old age, a Mutare man last week approached the civil courts praying for a protection order against his son whom he described as a disrespectful drunkard. Appearing before Mutare magistrate Mrs Yeukai Chigodora, Emmanuel Mujambanhando said his son, Munyaradzi, was in the habit of harassing him and his wife whenever he got drunk, something he described as irritating and disrespectful.

“Munyaradzi is my son, but very disrespectful. When he is drunk he becomes uncontrollable and this has lately been disturbing my peace and that of his mother. When he is drunk he verbally abuses his mother using foul language. If I try to intervene, he becomes violent and starts calling me by my first name. He is always threatening me with unspecified action and I am now fed up. That is why I have approached the courts for a protection order.

“My mother is sick and we sometimes stay with her, but at one point she begged me to take her back to the village because of my son’s unbecoming behaviour. Lately he has been selling my belongings to sustain his alcoholic behaviour because I won’t give him any money. The least I can say is that the whole family is traumatised by Munyaradzi and I need to protect my family from that,” said Mujambanhando.

Asked by the magistrate to give his side of the story, Munyaradzi said his father hates him and wanted him out of the family house.
Said Munyaradzi: “My father does not like me and most of what he said is not true.

“When I get drunk, I sleep. I do not go around harassing everyone like he is saying. I do not even remember calling him by his first name. I am not in the habit of selling his belongings either. I only sold a 20-litre container, nothing else. I have other siblings, but my father just hates me.”

In her ruling, Mrs Chigodora granted the protection order.
“Because of your behaviour and unbecoming conduct against your father, the protection order is hereby granted.
“You are not to harass your father or disturb his peace in any way,” she said.