Hubby beats up wife over proof of residence

AN illiterate Harare man who beat his wife for asking him for proof of residence to open a bank account told the court that he was scared she wanted to sell the house.

Fungai Nhambuse who was brought by his wife Eunice Gezi to court left the court in stitches when he failed to pronounce the words proof of residence.

Gezi was seeking a protection order against her husband who was chasing her away because she asked for the proof of residence.

She told the court that the couple married eight years ago but they did not have a child together.

"He is chasing me from our matrimonial home and telling me that I will walk away with nothing because I failed to have a child.

"He insults and assaults me since the day I asked for the proof of residence," she said.

In his counter response Nhambuse told the court that he asked his friend when his wife asked for the papers and was advised that she was up to no good.

"Your Worship I never gave her those papers that you pronounced for me.

"I cannot give her because she wants to take my stand," she said.

Magistrate Mrs Rekina Dzikiti told Nhambuse that the papers his wife was asking for were only proof that she stayed where she alleged.

Nhambuse denied that he was chasing his wife away because she was childless.

"When we married I knew that we could have problems having a child because she told me that they have problems in their family.

"Besides, a child is a blessing from God and it doesn't bother me that for the past eight years we are failing to have one," he said.

The court heard that the issue was that Gezi decided to visit traditional healers alone yet the couple used to go together.

"We used to frequent traditional healers together trying to conceive but she decided to go alone and I was angry," he said.

Mrs Dzikiti granted the protection order in Gezi's favour and advised Nhambuse to follow the proper procedure if he wanted to divorce his wife.