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Gibson Mhaka
WHEN it comes to confronting a horrific form of abuse, 24-year-old Absolute Ncube who is employed as a maid in Mbila Village in Plumtree, Matabeleland South Province is leading from the front.
Her case of abuse is as horrifying as it can be. She recently left the Plumtree Magistrates’ Court public gallery buzzing with sighs of shock and sadness after her soul-shaking testimony. She revealed that her 27-year-old husband Mayibongwe Maseko who is employed as a herdboy in the same homestead, allegedly used a knife to cut her upper inner arm and forcibly removed her Jadelle implant, a family planning method.
She stated that he would also flog her with a switch, sjambok, or electric cable, or “hit her with his bare hands whenever he felt the need.” As if that was not gruesome enough, Maseko further tormented his wife by making her stand on one leg while she ate. When she inevitably fell, he threatened to hack her to death with a shovel.
She revealed that she has been suffering abuse at the hands of her husband for the past six years. The abuse left her with multiple injuries, including two scars on her head and others on her legs, back and breasts.
Ncube’s prayers, according to reports, included a desire for her husband’s change of heart, but also a troubling plea for God to transform her into the person her husband so desired.
The soul-shaking case was heard before magistrate Joshua Nembaware where Maseko was being charged with a crime of physical abuse as defined in Section 3 (1) (a) as read with Section 4 (1) of the Domestic Violence Act Chapter 5:16.
Maseko pleaded guilty.
He pleaded for leniency from the court, expressing remorse, and claiming that he could not control his anger. The magistrate, however, lashed out at him, stating that society has no place for a man like him.
He was sentenced to 18 months in prison of which six months were suspended for a period of five years on condition that he does not within that period commit any offence involving physical abuse for which upon conviction he will be sentenced to imprisonment without the option of a fine. Maseko was sentenced to an effective 12 months in prison.
For the State, Selestine Madziwa told the court that Ncube and Maseko got married in 2018. Initially, things seemed peaceful. However, later that same year, Ncube sent someone to collect porridge for her during a food distribution programme. This angered the accused, and he assaulted her with a switch. In the following years, the accused would come home drunk and assault the complainant with a switch, sjambok, electric cable, or his bare hands whenever he felt the need.
In 2021, while the complainant was using Jadelle as a family planning method, the accused demanded that she must remove it. When she refused, he took a knife, cut her hand, and forcibly removed the implant. He then lied to neighbours saying she had been injured by a cow.
In 2023, the couple moved from their parents’ homestead in Mlomwe Village to Mbila Village for work. There, the accused took four of his wife’s cell phones and gambled them away. He also threatened to kill her with a shovel and an axe whenever she asked him about the cell phones.
The court further heard that Maseko accused his wife of talking about him to their employer. As punishment, he forced her to stand on one leg while she ate. When she inevitably fell, he flew into a rage, grabbed a shovel, and threatened to kill her.
These are just some of the horrific abuses the complainant suffered at the hands of her husband. The abuse left her with multiple injuries. The matter came to light through a tip-off from an anonymous caller to the police. Following their investigations, police arrested Maseko leading to his subsequent appearance in court.
Online Reporter