Daughter implicates mother as 'Hubby Snatcher'

IT was supposed to be a case of keeping it in the family for a mother and daughter who are accused of sharing a married man.

But that was not so, when the hard to believe case was revealed by the two (mother and daughter)'s alleged lover's wife Aquelina Manyengavana.

Manyengavana from How Mine on the outskirts of Bulawayo, claimed her neighbour Rosemary Chekutenda was sleeping with her husband and that they had a child together.

But when she confronted Chekutenda over her waywardness, Manyengavana however, discovered the truth she least expected.  This was after Chekutenda viciously denied the accusations, telling her it was impossible for her to sleep with the same man (Manyengavana's husband) who was allegedly bedding her mother. In a desperate bid to stop Manyengavana from troubling her, a devastated Chekutenda last Friday approached the Bulawayo Civil Court and sought a peace order against her.

She told the court that Manyengavana was always threatening her with death while labelling her a prostitute as punishment for "bedding" her husband.

"Aquelina Manyengavana who is my neighbour is accusing me of having a relationship with her husband. She said she was told by someone that during her absence I sneak into her house and sleep with her husband. She is labelling me a prostitute claiming her husband is the father of my child and it's not true.

"She is also threatening me with death. She once came to our house threatening to beat me up while armed with weapons.

"She also shouts at my parents calling them names. Because of her threats I have since vacated our house and I am now staying at my uncle's place," said Chekutenda. Responding to Chekutenda's submissions Manyengavana said although she denied having an intimate relationship with her husband she however, incriminated her mother saying she was the one who had a fling with the man.

"We are neighbours and currently we are not on talking terms. It is not true that I am threatening her with death. I just confronted her after I heard that she was having an intimate relationship with my husband and that she was also in the habit of sneaking into my house during my absence.

"When I confronted her I was shocked when she bragged to me saying it was impossible for her to sleep with the same man who is sleeping with her mother. I was shocked to hear that her mother was also sleeping with my husband," said Manyengavana.

She however, insisted that Chekutenda was having an adulterous relationship with her husband despite the fact that she had incriminated her mother.

Following her persistence the presiding magistrate Tinashe Tashaya advised Manyengavana to approach the civil court saying she can sue Chekutenda for her adultery if she had "sufficient" evidence that she was bedding her husband.

The magistrate also ordered Manyengavana not to verbally, emotionally, physically abuse Chekutenda and not to communicate with her in any way.