Abused man in suicide attempt

By Gibson Mhaka

A Bulawayo man who was tortured and abused by his wife for five years has spoken out about his foiled suicide act when he once slept in the bush so that he could be devoured by wild animals following a heated domestic dispute with his wife.

A seemingly fed-up Rejoice Samakiwa (52) from Magwegwe suburb said at the height of a domestic dispute with his wife Tsepiso Samakiwa (34) he “unceremoniously” left their matrimonial home and went to Binga where he slept in the bush with the intention of being killed by wild creatures.

Rejoice bared his soul at the Bulawayo Civil Court where he was seeking a protection order against his abusive wife whom he said was always harassing him while accusing him of having extra-marital affairs.

“I have been living under constant abuse at the hands of my wife who has been verbally, physically, psychologically and emotionally abusing me since we got married in 2014.

“At the height of the abuse in 2017, I left our house and once attempted suicide when I went to stay in the bush in Binga where I slept among wild animals for a number of days.

“I, however, survived and came back to stay with her at the instigation of my niece Sihle Tshabalala. Because of her constant abuse I finally moved out the house on 16 August this year. She is now following me to where I am currently staying. The last time she came she destroyed my property including a laptop and two cellphones.

“She is also stalking me and threatening me saying she is not yet done with me. I am now living in fear as a result of her threats,” said Rejoice.

He further begged the court to stop Tsepiso from coming to his house.

In response, Tsepiso refuted the allegations before she accused her estranged husband of infidelity.
“It is not true that I am abusing him. He moved out of the house on his own after I discovered a message in his phone from his girlfriend.

When I later phoned his girlfriend, she told me that they were now staying together,” responded Tsepiso adding that Rejoice was also abusing her.

In his ruling the presiding magistrate Tinashe Tashaya granted a reciprocal order which compels both parties not to verbally, physically and emotionally abuse each other and visit each other’s house. B-Metro