Online Reporter
Musawenkosi Moyo
A 35-YEAR-OLD man from Kensington Plots on the outskirts of Bulawayo, who was seemingly unable to comprehend the unlikely bond his wife and his girlfriend had forged, allegedly ran berserk and assaulted both of them.
For the offence, Wiseman Ncube appeared before Bulawayo magistrate Ernest Muzembi, facing two counts of physical abuse, one count of malicious damage to property, and one count of unreasonable disposal of household property.
Ncube pleaded not guilty to all charges and the matter was remanded to 14 February for continuation of trial.
On the count of malicious damage to property, it is alleged that on 2 March 2024, at around 10 pm in Kensington Plots, the accused went to his girlfriend, Tambudzai Mathe (24)’s place and kicked the door, damaging it in the process.
It was heard that Ncube demanded to know why the complainant was communicating with his wife.
Ncube then took Mathe’s cellphone and smashed it on the ground, breaking it.
On the first charge of physical abuse, the court heard that after breaking the complainant’s phone, the accused proceeded to assault her with fists, and open hands, and kicked her with his safety shoes several times all over her body.
On the second count of physical abuse, the court heard that on 27 November 2024, at around 7PM in Makokomba Village 9, Nyamandlovu District, the accused assaulted his wife, Memory Hove (35), several times on the face and back using his fists and a log.
The court further heard that on November 29, 2024, while his wife was in the hospital being treated for injuries sustained during the assault, the accused took household property from their house without her permission and left.
The total value of the stolen property was US$2 680.
Hove told the court that at the time, she had a chicken feed business, and on November 27, she had received a call from a male customer who wanted to buy feed from her.
“I made an appointment to meet him so that I could deliver the feed, but that did not go well with Ncube, who dragged me outside the house and started hitting me, accusing me of having an affair with several men. I went to the hospital, and while there, I received a call from one of my neighbours telling me that he was loading property into a truck,” she said.
A report was made to the police leading to Ncube’s arrest.
Peter Tanyanyiwa