News / National
Widow's home burnt down after son impregnates neighbour's wife
29 Oct 2020 at 21:29hrs | Views
A village widow from Zengeya under Chief Nyajena was left homeless after her neighbour and relative burnt down her four thatched houses because her son had snatched his wife.
Elias Mazonde is said to have burnt down the houses out of anger because the family of the man who stole his wife did not fulfil their promise to pay him five cattle in compensation.
Chief Nyajena, real name Addmore Zengeya, confirmed the incident and said he had referred the matter to the police.
"We had an incident whereby a widow, Mai Machemedze, was left without shelter after a neighbour burnt down her home in retaliation that the widow's son Wellington Machemedze had taken his wife.
"If these people had come to me, I could have made sure that the cattle were paid in time and I could have provided some counselling," said Zengeya.
He said the Mazonde and Machemedze families are related, meaning the two are like brothers in the Shona culture.
Sources said Machemedze began seeing Mazonde's wife some time ago and he went on to impregnate her while Mazonde was in South Africa where he worked.
"The two were caught by the locals on many occasions but the affair continued until the woman fell pregnant. When the pregnancy was about four months, Mazonde asked his wife to come to South Africa and she took Machemedze along and both stayed with Mazonde in South Africa where they secretly carried on with their adulterous affair.
"The two then tried to terminate the pregnancy but Mazonde would soon find out and quiz his wife about it. She then confessed everything and the two later escaped after Mazonde had thoroughly beaten them," said a source.
Machemedze ended up at his elder brother Mathias who is also in South Africa but Mazonde followed him there and beat him once more, forcing him to flee to an unknown location.
Mazonde then came back to Zimbabwe and engaged the Machemedze family, claiming R28000 in compensation.
It was then agreed that Mazonde will receive five cattle to compensate him for the shame and embarrassment caused but several weeks passed by without him receiving the cattle.
He later set fire to the houses at Mai Machemedze's place to avenge himself.
Elias Mazonde is said to have burnt down the houses out of anger because the family of the man who stole his wife did not fulfil their promise to pay him five cattle in compensation.
Chief Nyajena, real name Addmore Zengeya, confirmed the incident and said he had referred the matter to the police.
"We had an incident whereby a widow, Mai Machemedze, was left without shelter after a neighbour burnt down her home in retaliation that the widow's son Wellington Machemedze had taken his wife.
"If these people had come to me, I could have made sure that the cattle were paid in time and I could have provided some counselling," said Zengeya.
He said the Mazonde and Machemedze families are related, meaning the two are like brothers in the Shona culture.
Sources said Machemedze began seeing Mazonde's wife some time ago and he went on to impregnate her while Mazonde was in South Africa where he worked.
"The two were caught by the locals on many occasions but the affair continued until the woman fell pregnant. When the pregnancy was about four months, Mazonde asked his wife to come to South Africa and she took Machemedze along and both stayed with Mazonde in South Africa where they secretly carried on with their adulterous affair.
"The two then tried to terminate the pregnancy but Mazonde would soon find out and quiz his wife about it. She then confessed everything and the two later escaped after Mazonde had thoroughly beaten them," said a source.
Machemedze ended up at his elder brother Mathias who is also in South Africa but Mazonde followed him there and beat him once more, forcing him to flee to an unknown location.
Mazonde then came back to Zimbabwe and engaged the Machemedze family, claiming R28000 in compensation.
It was then agreed that Mazonde will receive five cattle to compensate him for the shame and embarrassment caused but several weeks passed by without him receiving the cattle.
He later set fire to the houses at Mai Machemedze's place to avenge himself.
Source - tellzim
