Man kidnaps ex-wife

A MUTARE man who could not fathom the fact that his wife had left him turned kidnapper after he allegedly abducted her in a bid to win her back.

This was revealed at the Mutare Civil Courts where Rachel Tsenesa is accusing her ex-husband, Innocent Machiri of abducting, assaulting and insulting her.

The couple appeared before Mutare magistrate, Mrs Yeukai Chigodora with Tsenesa seeking a protection order against her former husband.

The court heard that the couple separated in December last year but Machiri has been refusing to give Tsenesa a divorce token claiming that he still loves her.

Tsenesa told the court that she separated with him due to his violent behaviour.

She claimed that Machiri visited her at church early this month with bouncers and forced her into a car. She said they gagged her before tying her legs.

"They gagged me to stop me from screaming and tied my legs with a rope. They drove the vehicle to his place saying I was still his wife and had to come back home.

"His bouncers beat me up when I tried to escape, but I finally managed to flee. My mother is also taking sides with him since she is forcing me to go back and live with him.

"All I want is protection from this man, Your Worship. He should give me a divorce token in this court of law.

"I now fear for my life since he threatened to shoot me if I fail to go back to him," said Tsenesa.

Machiri, however, denied the allegations saying Tsenesa was the one who had assaulted him.

"Your Worship, I still love my wife, but if she does not love me anymore, then that is fine with me. It does not matter. I also wonder why she is lying that I assaulted her. She is the one who beat me up.

"I even reported the matter to the police and was medically examined," he said.

Machiri denied ever owning a gun and hiring thugs to abduct his ex-wife.

The protection order was granted to Tsenesa against Machiri and Mrs Chigodora warned the latter against being violent, physically or verbally towards his ex-wife.