Wife throws back divorce token

A CHIKANGA man who is fed up with his violent wife has approached the courts to persuade her to accept his divorce token she throws back at him each time he tries to end the marriage.

Livingstone Panyere appeared before Mutare magistrate, Mrs Yeukai Chigodora, seeking for a protection order against his wife, Tsitsi Mandirahwe, whom he accused of being violent.

Panyere told the court that due to the violence perpetrated against him, he had tried on three occasions to give his wife a divorce token.

She tosses it away each time he hands it to her saying she was still his beloved wife.

"The last time (I tried to give her the token) was in the presence of the police when they went to serve her with summons to attend this court. Your Worship she threw the token at them and screamed that she was still my wife.

"She had even refused to sign the court summons and she only did after the police had handcuffed her and threatened to arrest her."

Panyere told the court she was in the habit of stripping him in public.

"She stripped me at my workplace, Your Worship, and as I speak everyone at work knows my private parts and I am so ashamed to call her my wife."

Mandirahwe, however, denied stripping her husband. She said she was still Panyere's wife and disputed that he ever attempted to give a divorce token.

"We are still very much in love regardless of the fact that he has moved out of our matrimonial home. I am also surprised that in his application, he is referring to me as his ex-wife. He just wants to throw me out and enjoy my hard earned wealth," she said.

The protection order was granted to Panyere, but he was also ordered to divorce her customarily by giving her a token if he no longer wanted her as a wife.

Mandirahwe was barred from assaulting or insulting Panyere, but she was not barred from visiting his new place of residence as was stated in his application because they are still customarily married.