Man flees matrimonial home after wife hired gang to bash him

A MAN yesterday told a Harare magistrate that he ran away from his matrimonial home after being assaulted by a "mafia" hired by his wife who had caught him with a girlfriend.

Patrick Mushonga claimed his wife Grace Bhasikiti is in the habit of visiting his work place where she insults him in front of his bosses.

This was revealed at the Harare civil court where Mushonga was seeking a protection order against Bhasikiti.

"I had to run away from my matrimonial home because she once hired a team of men in the neighbourhood who physically assaulted me after she caught me with my girlfriend," he said.

Mushonga claimed that Bhasikiti was now visiting his new place of residence where she physically and verbally abused him.

"She even attempted to commit suicide at my work place last month after taking an overdose of hypertension tablets. Whenever I try to apologise to her about the girlfriend issue, she turns a deaf ear on me and becomes violent," he said.

Bhasikiti refuted the allegations accusing Mushonga of lying. She said Mushonga ran away from their house to stay with his late elder brother's wife whom he was now in love with.

"We are always quarrelling because he is not taking care of the family and paying rent for the house we are staying in," she said.

Bhasikiti said Mushonga was refusing to pay school fees for their child who is failing to collect his Form Four results because of an outstanding debt.

Magistrate Babra Masinire deferred the matter to tomorrow (today) for ruling.