Stepmother crosses swords with sons

Mercy Ngwebvu
A MUTARE businessman’s ill-health has resulted in his second wife and sons not seeing eye-to-eye. The dispute has spilled into the courts of law, with the woman from Mutare’s leafy Murambi low-density suburb praying for a protection order against her husband’s two sons whom she described as violent and disrespectful. Florence Muchabaiwa appeared before Mutare magistrate, Mrs Anniah Ndiraya, saying a protection order against her step-sons was the only way she could know peace, adding that she wanted to concentrate on taking care of her ailing husband.

“These boys have a tendency of causing commotion whenever they come to my house. The last time they came, they ended up locking my girls into their room until I called the police to intervene. I am now living in fear and I don’t want them in my house.

“As you can see, my husband is very sick and cannot protect me so I need this protection order so that I can live in peace,” she said.
However, the two sons, Trevor and Takudzwa Muchabaiwa, described their step-mother as a heartless woman who was clinging to their father’s wealth at their expense, adding that she only wanted their father to die so that she would take over his wealth.

Said Trevor: “This woman was married by my father when we were young and since then she has been ill treating us. The only reason why I went to ‘her house’ was because my father had asked me to drive him home from Harare as he is not feeling well. I know that she is seeking this protection order to try and separate us from our father. She wants him to have an accident and die.”

He went on to say that all the accusations that were being directed to them by Florence were lies.
“Her affidavit is full of lies. She is claiming that we are traumatising her and her children, causing her emotional and psychological pain, but that is not true. We are the victims here and we have always been on the receiving end in as far as emotional and psychological abuse in concerned. She claims that she educated us, but Takudzwa here doesn’t even have five ‘O’ level passes. Now she wants to bar us from our father’s house at a time when our father is very sick. How then will we visit our father?” he added
The ailing Sebastian Muchabaiwa, who was sitting in the gallery watched helplessly as his wife and sons tore each other in court. Much as the gallery would have wanted the court to rule in favour of the sons, Mrs Ndiraya granted the protection order on the basis that Trevor and Takudzwa were now over 18, so Florence had no legal obligation to keep her under her roof.

Said Ndiraya: “I have seen that you have no cordial relationship whatsoever, therefore, I will grant this order.”