Uncle and niece fight it out in court

Danisa Masuku
Floid Ngwenya from Entumbane suburb in Bulawayo has been accused by her uncle Lemius Moyo for forcing her mother to sleep in the corridor and allegedly locks her out of the house when she is going for her errands.

Ngwenya dragged her uncle to court alleging that he comes to her mother’s home and shouts at her.

“Your worship, I’m in pain about what my uncle does to me. He comes to our family home unannounced and starts to accuse me of ill-treating my mother. He has strained my relationship with my mother,” she said.

Ngwenya told the court that she sleeps with one eye open saying her uncle sometimes comes during the night to check on his sister and would tell her to leave the house.

“My uncle is very troublesome. At times he comes to our home during the night and tells me to vacate from my mother’s home and says I want to forcefully take my mother’s house,” she stated.

Moyo took to the stand and said: “These are shameful lies. She ill-treats my sister and she is the only child. She forces her to sleep in the corridor and that is dehumanising to say the least.”

He added: “When she leaves the house to do her errands in town, she locks my sister out of the house. I have found her twice sitting in the yard and hungry while the house is locked. On one occasion I had to buy her chips and drinks.”

Moyo said his niece always tells her mother to leave and stay somewhere.

“She does not want my sister to stay at the house. She always tells her to leave the house and she wants to take the house. I brought her mother, Siphiwe Moyo, to testify. Kindly grant her an opportunity to testify ,” he said.
When Siphiwe took to the stand, she said;

“These two (Moyo and his niece) are always involved in arguments. They are in the habit of pointing fingers at each other.”

However, the presiding magistrate Challenge Mahembe granted Ngewenya a protection order, preventing Moyo from verbally and emotionally abusing his niece. The order is valid for five years.