Jukwa threatens to kill wife

A GWANDA woman has been granted a protection order against her abusive husband who was in the habit of locking her outside their house while undressed in the middle of the night.

Mrs Thalia Jukwa of Spitzkop Suburb also begged the court to grant her custody of her three minor children as her husband, Albert Jukwa, who is employed as an electrician at Zesa Gwanda office, was denying her access since she fled home.

Mrs Jukwa said she fled from her matrimonial home as her husband was threatening to kill her.

''I have three children with my husband aged one, three and six-years-old. He is in the habit of insulting and assaulting me in full view of our children.

Sometimes he drags me out of our house while undressed at night and locks me out. He also threatens to kill me which has left me living in fear.

"I had to flee from my matrimonial home out of fear for my life as he was threatening to kill me. I had to leave my children behind and he is now denying me access to them. He threatened to kill me if I took them away. All of this has affected my children psychologically. I pray to the court to grant me a protection order and custody of the children as they are young and deserve to be with their mother,'' she said.

Mrs Jukwa said she reported the matter to the police who advised her husband to release the children but he refused.

She said her husband has been abusing her for the past six years.

In response, Jukwa denied abusing his wife and said she always insults him.

"I have never abused my wife but she is the one who is always insulting me. At one point she insulted me about my manhood and she once locked me out of the house.

"I also need protection so that she doesn't interfere with my private life as she is always coming back to the house to harass me. It's not true that she moved out because I was violent but she made that decision on her own. When she left she took away most of the property and left me with a few things,'' he said.

Jukwa said he wanted access to his children as he was concerned about their well-being.

He accused his wife of making false allegations against him.

Presiding over the matter, Gwanda magistrate, Mr Obedience Matare, granted a reciprocal protection order whereby each party was ordered not to insult, assault, threaten or harass the other. Each party was also ordered not to visit the house of the other unless there is a prior arrangement.

Mr Matare also granted custody of the three children to Mrs Jukwa and allowed her husband rights of access during weekends and school holidays.