Online Reporter
Fidelis Chavarike
Weekender Reporter
A ZIMUNYA woman, Grace Chamwandoita, petitioned the Mutare Civil Court, seeking a protection order against her brother, Voice Chamwandoita (31), and his family.
The siblings appeared before magistrate, Ms Purity Gumbo this week, where Grace recounted her ordeal, describing how life had become unbearable since she returned to their family homestead following her husband’s death.
She told the court that her brother has a history of physically assaulting, harassing, and threatening to kill her.
“My brother once threw a brick at me, hitting me on the head so severely that I was hospitalised. I did not press charges at the time because it seemed like he had changed. But last week, he slapped me, which prompted me to seek a protection order. Voice has a tendency of assaulting and insulting me. Even if I ignore him – he always finds a way to provoke me,” said Grace.
She further argued that after her brother learnt that she was taking the matter to court, he threatened to kill her.
“When he was summoned to appear in court, he told me he would rather go to jail than share the same roof with a traitor. Voice and his family shout at me and also mock my late husband. They constantly insult me and call me names,” she said.
Grace also told the court that they are staying with their other brother’s daughter whom they constantly abuse.
“We stay with our other brother’s daughter. When our mother assigns us chores and we delay or seem unwilling, Voice becomes aggressive, bullying, shouting, and insulting us. He once dragged me out of the kitchen by my braids when I told our mother I would water the garden later. I was hurt, but I did not take any action. This abuse has been ongoing for a year now, and he is not changing. It has become a habit for him to beat me whenever I speak out against or disagree with his wife about household chores,” she said.
However, Voice disputed all the allegations, claiming that his sister is disrespectful and refuses to help around the house.
“Grace does not do anything at home. She wakes up and waits for my wife and mother to prepare food for her, while she spends time with different boyfriends.
I beat her out of anger because she talks back to our ageing mother. Our father recently passed away, and she treated him the same way.
“She hates my family, and sometimes refuses to respond to greetings from my wife and children, even though we stay under the same roof. That is why she is involving them in this matter,” he said.
Grace disputed her brother’s defence, claiming he is abusive, and does not want her at the family homestead.
She said he insists she should be remarried by now.
“He does not want me around the homestead, even though my husband passed away, and he knows I had nowhere else to go, but our family homestead. He claims I should be remarried by now, but I have not found anyone, nor am I involved in any affair, as he alleges,” said Grace.
Ms Gumbo granted the protection order in favour of Grace.
“How am I not supposed to grant this protection order when you have already threatened to kill her if she gets one? The court hereby grants the protection order in favour of Grace Chamwandoita. Any failure to comply with its terms will result in your immediate arrest,” she ruled.
