‘RELEASE MY HUBBY, WE ARE STARVING!’:Wife begs court to free abusive man

Dalyn Chigwizura

THERE was drama, disbelief and a dash of comedy at the Bulawayo courts when a woman flipped the script and begged the magistrate to set free, the very man she accused of beating her.

Emily Nyamonga (36) left the courtroom buzzing after pleading with the court to release Langton Chirenje (38), saying hunger had hit harder than his fists.

“My husband is the breadwinner. There is no food at home,” she told the court, unhinging jaws in the gallery.

Chirenje allegedly assaulted Nyamonga after a drunken dispute. Instead of demanding justice in court, she demanded groceries by proxy, urging the court to send her husband back home.

Magistrate Jeconia Prince Ncube was left scratching his head and asked the obvious question: why report the matter if you do not want him arrested?

Nyamonga had no clear answer.

The court heard that on April 2, Chirenje staggered home drunk and ordered his wife to leave the house. She stood her ground, and that is when tempers flared. In a fit of anger, he allegedly rained blows on her like she was a speed punching bag.

Despite the assault claims, Nyamonga did not sustain visible injuries and did not seek medical attention. A report was later made to the police, leading to Chirenje’s arrest.

However, the real twist came when the magistrate granted Chirenje bail of US$30.

That is when Nyamonga switched gears again.

“We do not even have money for bail,” she pleaded. “Please just release him. The family will suffer.”

The courtroom could not contain the irony. A victim fighting harder for her husband’s freedom than the accused himself.

In a rare move, Magistrate Ncube granted free bail, effectively sending Chirenje back home without a cent being paid.

Nyamonga walked out of court smiling, her mission accomplished.

While the law seeks to protect victims of abuse, this case exposed the harsh reality many families face, where survival sometimes overshadows justice.

For Nyamonga, the choice was simple. Between bruises and an empty pot, she chose the pot.

And just like that, love, hunger and courtroom drama served up a story Bulawayo will not forget anytime soon.