'Adulterous' woman throws self in front of moving truck

BUSINESS came to a halt on Thursday evening in Masvingo when an alleged adulterous woman threw herself before a moving haulage truck in protest over her husband's decision to take her back to her parents' home after allegedly infecting him with a sexually transmitted infection (STI).

The woman, Ms Ruth Rusere (24), of Village 7, Gokomere, Masvingo, who has a one-year eight months-old child was however saved by touts who nearly caused a scene when they stood guard in the middle of the road, oblivious of the risk of oncoming traffic.

The incident which attracted a huge crowd happened near Croco Motors along Masvingo-Harare Road at around 4pm when Ms Rusere was walking with her husband Mr Torerai Dende (36) and his cousin, Mr Claitos Chikorera (48), both of Fuwe Village, Chief Nhema, Zaka, towards where they wanted to board lifts to Gokomere.

Without warning Ms Rusere jumped into the road just before an oncoming haulage truck, leaving her husband and his cousin but was pulled back to safety by an alert tout, who identified himself, as Rasta.

"I saw this woman jumping into the road and sprawl on the tar just a few metres from a speeding haulage truck. I quickly rushed to grab her hand and pulled her to safety, much to the relief of her husband who had remained on the other side of the road while holding the woman's baby," said Rasta.

Narrating the episode, Mr Chikorera, who revealed to Chronicle that they had been married for only three months, said it all started last week when his wife visited him in Harare where he works as a security guard.

"Our marriage is only three months old and I only finished paying lobola last month. After paying lobola, I allowed her to remain at her parents' homestead in Gokomere for a few weeks.

"After close to three weeks, she followed me to Marlborough, Harare, where I stay while working as a security guard. After two days enjoying my conjugal rights, I discovered that I had developed some rash on my manhood and that meant my wife had infected me with an STI," said Mr Chikorera.

He said he interrogated his wife after showing her the infection and she allegedly gave the name of another man whom she only identified as Tau, from her home area in Gokomere.

"I asked her and she told me the man responsible but said she was not aware that she had the disease. However, she refused that we seek treatment together and I ended up going alone and got treated at the clinic.

"We then came to my home area in Zaka where I told my parents who also advised me to take her to her parents. When we were still in Zaka, she drank poison, an insecticide, in an attempt to commit suicide but I rushed with her to a nearby clinic where she was treated and discharged.

"I have since communicated with my in-laws and they have advised me that I should bring her to their home so that we can solve the issue together. However, my wife seems to be reluctant to face her parents as she is ashamed of what she has done to me but still, that does not mean she has to end her life. She just jumped into the road while we were walking towards the bus stop.

"She has a young baby who still needs to be breastfed. Although the baby is not mine, I have been the one responsible for the child's upkeep. We are yet to have children of our own. I have my own from a previous marriage," he said.

Mr Chikorera reported the matter to the police but said the law enforcers did not seem concerned, as they argued that the woman was not mentally challenged, so they could not arrest or detain her.

"I am afraid that she can refuse to go to her parents and if she remains adamant I won't know what to do," said a visibly shaken Mr Chikorera.