Property glues couple together
AN ODZI couple’s marriage has irreversibly broken down, with the wife standing accused of dating an agricultural extension officer who pampers her with free farming inputs.
The unnamed extension officer is reportedly gifting the woman with free seeds and fertiliser, thereby leaving her husband with no choice, but to send her packing.
Although Gabriel Mushunje and Charity Mungarega have been on separation since 2016, Mungarega refuses to leave the family’s plot in Odzi as the property belongs to both of them.
Mushunje has already married another woman and is also staying with his new family at the same plot after building a new house for his wife.
The estranged couple appeared before Mutare magistrate, Mr Xavier Chipato, with Mungarega applying for a protection order against Mushunje.
She said Mushunje wants to evict her from the plot.
Mr Chipato granted the protection order in Mungarega’s favour.
The order will be valid for the next five years.
ln her application, Mungarega said Mushunje is barring her from ploughing the fields as well as forcing her to vacate their matrimonial house.
“Mushunje does not allow me to live peacefully at the plot. He chases my workers out of the fields, yet we bought this land together as husband and wife. When I put my tobacco in the bans for curing, he throws it out, saying that it is his property,” said Mungarega.
She said Mushunje has been telling their children that she is a woman of loose morals who is haunted by avenging spirits from her family.
“He tells my children that I am a prostitute who is dating an extension officer. This is just speculation.
“We stay at the same plot, but Mushunje has married another wife. He had to build another house for his new wife and he stays with my children there. I am not allowed to send my own children on errands. My children cannot visit my house,” said Mungarega.
She said in 2016 she applied for a protection order against Mushunje.
Mungarega said she had to apply for another one after hearing that Mungarega had plans to boot her out.
“In 2016, he was very abusive and would chase my labourers from their work stations. Our marriage has broken down, but I have been staying there for the sake of my children. Currently I do not have any protection from the law and I fear that he will force me out. I had to come back for another protection order to prolong my stay at the plot,” said Mungarega.
However, Mushunje said after getting the protection order in 2016, Mungarega became thick headed.
“She would go out and come back whenever she wanted, leaving the kids unattended, including a young one. Whenever I asked her where she was coming from, she would tell me that it was none of my business. I resorted to marrying another wife because there cannot be two heads in one family,” he said.
He said Mungarega would lie to him that she would be visiting her family in Masvingo or going for family functions in Chipinge, when she was in fact gallivanting in Mutare with her lover.
He said his suspicions were confirmed after he came across pictures of Mungarega enjoying quality time with her unnamed lover in Mutare.
Mushunje also said Mungarega is in the habit of telling his children that he is a bad father because he married a second wife.
He said Mungarega has already bought another residential stand where she wants to settle with her lover.
“She told me that she no longer loves me and is willing to vacate our matrimonial home. I do not know what is stopping her from moving out. Why does she want to continue staying at my house when she is equally fed up with our relationship? I am tired of her affairs,” charged Mushunje.