Gibson Mhaka
A Bulawayo woman who is living in perpetual fear of her violent husband who is in the habit of threatening to scald her with boiling water whenever they have an argument, dragged him to court seeking his eviction from their matrimonial home.
In her application for a protection order, a seemingly furious Memory Tavengwa from Cowdray Park suburb who has not known peace from her husband of 13 years Dzingai Sydney Mapadzange claimed the latter was verbally and physically abusing her.
Tavengwa claimed her husband who is self-employed as a mechanic was also emotionally and psychologically abusing their children aged 11 and 13 years.
So severe was the abuse that in her papers obtained at the Bulawayo Civil Court, Tavengwa stated that she wanted her husband to be kicked out of their house.
“I have been in a customary union with Dzingai Sydney Mapadzange for 13 years and we have two children together aged 11 and 13. He has been verbally and physically abusing me for several years.
“I have also made several reports to the police to no avail. He is also threatening to scald me with boiling water. I no longer feel safe now and I need the court’s intervention so that he stops abusing me. The abuse is also emotionally and psychologically affecting our children.
“I therefore seek a protection order against him so that he stops abusing me together with the children. I also want him to be evicted from our house as I cannot continue staying with him because of his violent behaviour,” Tavengwa’s court affidavit reads in part.
She also stated that at one time Mapadzange struck her with an iron bar.
Mapadzange, however, didn’t respond to the accusations after Tavengwa failed to show up to corroborate her claims, leading presiding magistrate Adelaide Mbeure to strike the matter off the roll.
