‘You can not bring lovers’

Tendai Gukutikwa
A CHIKANGA woman is up in arms with his late husband’s nephew who has since moved into her family house and causing her sleepless nights.Plaxedes Doka (39) appeared before Mutare magistrate Mrs Sharon Chipanga, seeking a protection order against Abel Mutowo. Mrs Chipanga granted her the protection order. The court heard that when Doka’s husband died in 2009, Mutowo moved in with her claiming that he was financially unstable and could not afford to live alone.

“He refuses to pay electricity and water bills even though he is staying for free at my house. He claims that the house belongs to the family and not to my late husband since I did not have a child with him,” she said.

Mutowo allegedly assaulted Doka several times because of the electricity bills. Mutowo had this to say to the court:

“I came to stay with Doka because after my uncle died she started seeing her boyfriend which is not customarily right.”

He claimed the house belongs to the family and she was not supposed to be there since she was only a wife to the deceased.

“If the house is in the name of the deceased, the legal implications are that the estate belongs to the surviving spouse of the deceased,” ruled the court.

Mrs Chipanga advised the feuding parties to register the estate with the deceased estate’s office.