Underwear row spills into courts

AN elderly man held a courtroom in his thrall on Wednesday when he accused his estranged wife of grabbing all his underwear.

Charles Hwariwa, fighting a $150 maintenance claim by Faithfully Muchipisi, told a Bulawayo magistrate that he prayed to have  his undergarments returned to him.

"This woman has the guts to claim for maintenance after stealing my property - including my underwear," said the 50-something Hwariwa, drawing hearty laughter from the public gallery.

Hwariwa, of Mpopoma, added: "She has no right to claim maintenance because I've been taking care of her and our child for the past two years without failure.

"I want her to return all my property, including my underwear."

He blasted his ex-wife saying that she was adulterous and this posed a danger to his life.

"She has a boyfriend in South Africa. When she receives calls, she goes out of the house and receives them from across the road. Once, I answered the call and the caller told me that I should stay away from her," he said.

The plumber insisted he could not pay maintenance.

His ex-wife immediately hit back, telling magistrate Victor Mpofu that Hwariwa was a drunk who arrived home late "and insults me throughout the night."

"I've been failing to sleep for the past two years, Your Honour," she said.

The judge ruled that Hwariwa should pay $80 monthly to his ex-wife.

He also advised the couple not to hang out their dirty linen in public.