‘Broke’ man blames it on wife
By Gibson Mhaka
A man from Emganwini suburb in Bulawayo is living in fear of his wife whom he claimed is possessed by a spiritual husband.
Amid sobs, Nyamanzi Dube said his spiritually-possessed wife Emma Dube who had been denying him sex for the past three years was in possession of a spear, axe and knobkerrie which she was using to frequently assault him.
Nyamanzi narrated the torment while responding to his wife’s application for a protection order at the Bulawayo Civil Court.
This was after his wife had claimed that he was constantly verbally abusing her while calling her names saying she had a spiritual husband that was bringing him bad luck.
“Nyamanzi Dube is my husband and we got married in 1992 in terms of the Marriages Act Chapter 5:11. He is verbally abusing me while calling me names saying I have a spiritual husband that brings him bad luck.
“He has been abusive ever since we got married. I was not reporting him to the police thinking that he would change,” claimed Emma.
Nyamanzi, however, hit back saying he was in fact a victim of domestic violence as his wife was in the habit of assaulting him with a spear, axe and knobkerrie.
“I am not abusing her in any way. When I say she has a spiritual husband it’s because she has an axe, spear and knobkerrie which she is using to attack me with. Last week she assaulted me on my knee and I have a medical report to prove that.
“She is also refusing to sleep with me despite the fact that we are still married. She moved out of the matrimonial bedroom three years ago,” said Nyamanzi.
He further said his better half was no longer cooking and washing for him.
“I now do all things for myself, that is, cooking and washing. She also does not allow me to use the stove.
“The reason why she is doing all that is because she is employed and I am not. I was shocked the other day when she said there was no food in the house and she was going to the bar to look for men who could give her money”.
When asked by the presiding magistrate Adelaide Mbeure why she was ill-treating her husband, Emma did not mince her words when she said: “He should go and look for a job. Just imagine I am the one doing everything like making sure that there is food in the house.”
Following the two parties’ submissions, the magistrate was left with no option but to grant a reciprocal order which compels them not to verbally, physically and emotionally abuse each other. B-Metro
