'Madzimai undresses when angry'

A MEMBER of Johanne Masowe eChishanu apostolic sect says his wife undresses when she gets angry.

He also said she confessed to bedding another man and her confession infuriated him to the point of assaulting her.

Joseph Emmanuel revealed this at the Harare civil court where he was answering to allegations of abuse.

He was hauled to court by his wife, Christine Nyabanga who sought protection against him.

Emmanuel argued that Nyabanga is the one who provokes him and as a result he assaults her.

He also said sometimes his wife is possessed by a spirit of madness and ends up acting wild.

"She is my wife and sometimes she goes mad. I do not insult her because I know that when she gets angry she undresses.

"When I assaulted her she had confessed while we were at church that she was bedding another man. Naturally I got angry and reacted by assaulting her.

"Other than that I have tried to stay with her in peace. I know she has a mental problem and I am not too fussy about most things. I do not abuse her," he told the court.

In her application, Nyabanga accused Emmanuel of abusing her in many ways which include verbal, physical, emotional and financial.

She told magistrate Sharon Rakafa that being Emmanuel's wife was living between a rock and a hard place but she was too old to return to her parents' house.

"I got married in 1990 and I am now 50-years-old. He is chasing me away from home but I will not go anywhere because of my age.

"I bore children for this man but he is not taking care of them. Some are of school going age but they are not enrolled at any learning institution.

"If I go for part time jobs to fend for the children he insults me saying I was prostituting. He did not even pay my bride price, do not even know what he will do when I die.

"He once wielded a knife at me and I was so scared. The problem is he wants me to find another wife for him but I can't do that," she said.

Nyabanga also claimed that Emmanuel does not buy food for the family because he goes around praying for people and does not leave the people's houses without eating.

"He is called by many people to give them prayers and he always eats there so he does not buy food at home. I am tired of being abused, I cannot take it anymore," complained Nyabanga.

Magistrate Rakafa granted the order in Nyabanga's favour ordering Emmanuel to refrain from verbally, physically and emotionally abusing her.