Suicidal woman loses peace order bid

A HARARE woman, Elizabeth Chemhere on Tuesday wept bitterly at the civil court as she accused her husband, Machinda Jumo of assaulting her on several occasions and threatening to rape her.

Chemhere told the court that Jumo often injures her by forcefully poking fingers into her eyes, and twisting her arms whenever they have disagreements, usually related to sex.

"He then tells me that he wants to rape me and I do not know what to do. All I wish from him is to be understood and loved, but whenever we have a disagreement he assaults and insults me," she said as she wept.

In response to the allegations, Jumo told the court that the assault happened as he reprimanded her against committing suicide.

"I do not deny physically assaulting her.  But all that happened when I was trying to stop her from taking a poisonous chemical. I physically injured her because I was trying to stop her from burning the house down," Jumo explained.

"I caught her trying to burn down the house with our child inside and when I tried to stop her; I ended up twisting her arm."

Chemhere admitted to attempts to commit suicide saying it was due to the circumstances that her husband was putting her through.

"Should he leave you then when you attempt to commit suicide because it seems like you are trying to use the court against him yet he will be trying to save your life whenever you have suicidal episodes," magistrate Tamara Chibende said.

Chemhere failed to answer the question and continued weeping, asking the court to grant her the peace order saying her husband was not an understanding and loving man.

Chibende said the court could not force her husband to love her the way she wanted.

She then dismissed the application for a peace order on the basis that the applicant failed to convince the court that she was being harassed.