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Tanyaradzwa Mujati
Weekender Reporter
A MUTARE man recently moved in with his pregnant domestic worker, while the mother of the house was toiling for the family in Beitbridge.
This emerged at Mutare Civil Court where Odiline Vurayayi had applied for both maintenance and protection order from her husband, Norman Namweto.
Vurayayi was applying for US$120 for the upkeep of the two minor children.
The court heard that Vurayayi had sexually starved Namweto for two years, resulting in him taking their domestic worker as a second wife.
The domestic worker also moved into the couple’s bedroom as the new wife.
The couple appeared before Mutare magistrate, Ms Perseverance Makala who granted the protection order which is varied for five years.
Ms Makala also ordered Namweto to pay US$60 as maintenance for the two children.
Vurayayi said she left her husband with the children and the maid after being transferred to work in Beitbridge.
“I was transferred to work in Beitbridge. I had no option as I had to fend for the family since my husband was not working. As the sole breadwinner I had to provide money for the children’s school fees and also support the family since he had decided to stay at home and not look for a job,” said Vurayayi.
Vurayayi also said Namweto was in the habit of harassing, intimidating and assaulting her in the presence of her children and the former domestic worker, now his new bride.
“He would assault me and call me profane names in the presence of my children. He would assault me to please his new flame,” she said.
Vurayayi said she got the shock of her life to come back home to find their domestic worker pregnant and having moved into their main bedroom.
“I looked for a domestic worker after I had opened a small tuck-shop for my husband to have something to do because my salary only could not sustain us. I was shocked when I saw my domestic worker being pregnant. He told me that we should co-exist as his two wives, but I cannot be in a polygamous relationship,” she said.
Vurayayi also said her husband was threatening to have her fired by framing her to her bosses in a bid to destroy her life because she refused to be in a polygamous relationship.
“My daughter was not feeling well and was supposed to go for an operation in South Africa. He did not contribute anything towards the medical expenses, but called my bosses, telling them that I had taken my child to South Africa illegally.
“I availed all the necessary proof to my bosses that what I had done was above board and that saved my job. He told me that he will not relent until I lose my job,” said Vurayayi.
Namweto opposed the granting of the protection order to Vurayayi, saying he still loves her.
He said the protection order will terribly affect their relationship which he was trying to rekindle.
Namweto said Vurayayi had been denying him his conjugal rights for the past two years, saying he was broke.
“I lost my job in 2020 and ever since I have been staying at home. She just changed when I lost my job and would deny me my conjugal rights. I ended up gratifying myself on the domestic worker,” said Namweto.
He also said if Vurayayi wants to leave the marriage, she should give him a divorce token.
Online Reporter