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Tendai Kwaramba
Post Reporter
1 Corinthians 7:28 reads: “Every marriage experiences difficulty. Those trials are meant to deepen our love for our spouse — just as trials are meant to deepen our relationship with Christ.”
This appears to have been the Bible verse which inspired a Mutare woman to take her husband and first wife head-on after staring divorce in the face.
Leona Mhashu whose love boat has been rocked by the sudden return of Jessica Mukwada into her husband, Gift Mutasa’s love life, decided to seek recourse from the courts through a protection order.
Mhashu, Mutasa and Mukwada recently appeared before Mutare magistrate, Mr Xavier Chipato, with a bitter Mhashu accusing Mutasa and Mukwada of making her life a living hell.
Mr Chipato granted the protection order in Mhashu’s favour.
The court heard that on August 25, Mutasa brought his first wife, Mukwada back home after they had separated for years.
Mutasa is said to have told Mhashu that they had reconciled for the sake of their now grown-up children.
Mhashu said Mutasa told her that his children with Mukwada could not continue to be under the custody of their paternal grandfather when both parents are still alive.
This did not go down well with Mhashu and the couple has been at loggerheads over the issue.
Mhashu also said Mutasa had threatened to divorce her for going against his decision.
“Your Worship, Mutasa is giving Mukwada my property without my consent. When I try to object, he assaults me. He is also threatening to divorce me.
“He is now ganging up with Mukwada to harass me.
“When I packed all my belongings to give them space, Mutasa stopped me from leaving saying the property belongs to his children.
“I am prepared to have the property shared equally because I also contributed in buying it.
“I cannot allow Mukwada to enjoy the fruits of my sweat.”
She added: “Mutasa is also saying we must co-exist with Mukwada because he built our house using material which he removed from Mukwada’s house which he later demolished.
“They divorced two years before our marriage. Their divorce is public knowledge in our area. The village head allocated him a stand at the business centre which we developed. Mukwada is now eyeing this house.”
Mhashu who does not have any children with Mutasa said her bareness was making her a subject of ridicule by Mukwada.
“Mukwada insults me every time, accusing me of not bearing Mutasa any children. She says she wants to have another child with Mutasa,” said Mhashu.
Mhashu begged the court to bar Mutasa and Mukwada from insulting, harassing and assaulting her.
She also wanted Mukwada to be barred from staying at the disputed homestead.
“Your Worship, there is no way I will stay together with Mukwada.
“Mutasa must build her a new house since he is the one who demolished her old one.
“He should carry his burden of having two wives.”
In his defence, Mutasa said he never divorced Mukwada.
“We had a misunderstanding and we separated. When I married Mhashu, she knew I was still married to Mukwada.
“I demolished her house because we had agreed to use the material to build a new one as we were investing in our children’s future.”
“For the past six years we have been married, we were using Mukwada’s property including her blankets and kitchen utensils. This is the reason why I am returning part of Mukwada’s property to her,” said Mutasa.
Mukwada concurred with Mutasa and said: “I am surprised that for the past six years, Mutasa and Mhashu never bought any property, but used what I left behind.
“I am not opposing the protection order, but it should bind both parties.
“We should co-exist because this woman is motor-mouthed (mai ava vanopopota).”
Online Reporter