Man locks wife in freezer as punishment

A BULAWAYO man from Sizinda high-density suburb allegedly assaulted his wife, threw her into a freezer and locked her inside for about five minutes after she lost $50 that he had given her to buy meat and alcohol.

According to sources, the man, Aleck Phiri, is said to have come home drunk expecting to have a meaty meal only to be served sadza with cabbage and beans. This did not go down well with Phiri who then repeatedly slapped his wife, Cynthia Phiri, for serving him vegetables.

Phiri is said to have stopped the assault to query why his wife chose to cook cabbages and beans when he had explicitly told her that he wanted sadza and pork. Phiri told him that she had lost the money. The news that the $50 for meat and alcohol had gone down the drain made Phiri lose his marbles. He is said to have held his wife by the neck, choked her before throwing her into the freezer, telling her that since she had lost the money for meat he was going to cook her.

Phiri, who is said to have pleaded for mercy throughout the ordeal, banged and scratched the lid of the freezer in an effort to free herself from the icy environment that she was confined in.

After about five minutes Phiri responded to the banging, scratching and screams of his wife. He let her out, incessantly apologised for his actions and boiled water to bathe his wife who was crying loud. The fracas attracted neighbours who are used to the domestic disturbances of Mr and Mrs Phiri. Neighbours, who went to investigate, were told by Phiri that the problem had been resolved.

"We are now used to their quarrels, a few months ago Mrs Phiri hit her husband with a brick on the head and he collapsed. He did not report the incident to the police. One time Mr Phiri was lucky to escape with minor burns when his wife attempted to scald him with boiling water. Mr Phiri also once held his wife at knife point and threatened to kill her. So you can see, attempting to help them is a lost cause, they are like that. They love each other and will kill each other," said a neighbour who refused to be named.

In an interview Phiri admitted that he quarrelled with his wife and assaulted her over the lost $50 but denied that he threw her into a freezer.

"We had a fight like all couples do but it got out of hand because I was drunk. But I did not throw her into the freezer, those are lies. I love my wife and it's a shame that I assaulted her for losing a mere US$50. It was silly really, money comes and goes, it is a visitor," said Phiri.

Mrs Phiri gave a different version of events as she confirmed that she was locked in the freezer.

"Yes, he locked me in a freezer but I forgive him because alcohol does that to him. It makes him violent. I do not want and I will not talk about what happened but I can tell you that I am trying to help him quit drinking because it is destroying him and our family. I am relieved that this happened when our children were at boarding school," said Mrs Phiri.