By Helen Kadirire
HARARE – From embarrassing allegations of sexually transmitted infections, to those of drug abuse, the short-lived marriage of Sharon Macheso and Kudakwashe Munetsi appeared doomed from the start.
On Tuesday, Munetsi escaped prison by a whisker when he was fined $200 for a violent crime against his wife, that could have seen him spending a decade in prison under the Domestic Violence Act.
The 2007 law defines domestic violence as “any unlawful act, omission or behaviour which results in death or the direct infliction of physical, sexual or mental injury to any complainant by a respondent, and includes physical, sexual, emotional, and economic abuse”.
It also involves forced virginity testing, female genital mutilation, pledging of women to appease spirits, forced marriage and wife inheritance; and sexual intercourse between fathers-in-law and daughters-in-law.
The Act states that any person who commits an act of domestic violence is liable to a fine not exceeding level 14, or imprisonment for a period not exceeding 10 years, or to both such fine and imprisonment.
Munetsi pummeled his wife after they had a misunderstanding over money, a public address system and a car, which the hubby wanted from his father-in-law — sungura kingpin Alick Macheso.
The trial, which ran for a little over a month, was characterised by mudslinging by both parties, even though both claimed to love each other dearly.
In the court gallery, the Munetsi and Macheso families sat opposite each other, with glares being exchanged.
During the trial, both parties would leave the court at separate times to avoid the awkward situation of bumping into each other.
Sharon, her mother Nyadzisai and her aunt Rosemary Mutore, who later became the State witness, would leave the courts in a different car every day, while the Munetsis had to jump into taxis or squeeze into their defence counsel Charles Chikore’s car.
As observed by magistrate Takunda Mtetwa, the couple lacked maturity and genuine love, which contributed to the breakdown of their two-month old marriage.
“The marriage lacked proper guidance and counseling, which made the honeymoon phase end too soon,” magistrate Mtetwa observed.
“The whole scenario lacked ingredients for a good relationship.”
During trial, Sharon hurled insults at her husband, that he was abusing drugs and failed to look for a job like most men, and that he wanted to rely on his celebrity father-in-law for sustenance.
On the other hand, Munetsi also tarnished his wife’s name through scurrilous allegations such as that he was not responsible for Sharon’s pregnancy as the couple had allegedly not been intimate after she reportedly contracted “vaginal warts.”
Munetsi also accused his wife of taking snuff to appease spirits of her paternal grandfather.
As the husband dished the dirt, Sharon could be seen shaking her head in disbelief.
To add insult to injury, Sharon’s aunt, Mutore, revealed that three days after the much-publicised wedding, the marriage was already exhibiting signs of collapse as fighting had become the order of the day.
Despite efforts to get the newly-weds to reconcile, nothing materialised as the Machesos allegedly wanted Munetsi to be punished.
Mutore revealed how the couple would constantly fight over money issues, as both were unemployed.
Marriage counsellor and pastor Lucia Gunguwo said relationships where one of the spouses gets into a marriage with a partner from a popular family can be tricky.
Gunguwo said it was imperative to know exactly what the other party wants, whether it is financial gain or true love.
“They may have lacked the proper foundation to nurture their marriage because they did not fully know and understand each other,” she said.
“It is good to have marriage counselling before entering into a union so that everything comes out in the open.”
She said Munetsi should work for his own sustenance and also learn to appreciate what he is given instead of making unreasonable demands. Daily News
