Married woman disrupts church service, accuses Priest of having an affair

A Roman Catholic Priest stationed at St Bernard's Parish in Bulawayo's Old Pumula suburb has been drawn into potentially explosive infidelity accusations after a married woman stormed a church service to confront a congregant while accusing her of having a romantic affair with her husband and the priest.

It was pure drama when Lisa Blessed Filunyu disrupted a church service confronting Lynetty Sibonokuhle Ncube while accusing her of being in love with her husband William Masanda and the priest.

She also branded Ncube a "serial prostitute".

The priest, Father Thomas Kutwa, is stationed at St Bernard's Parish in Old Pumula suburb.

Contacted for comment Father Kutwa reacted angrily while denying a romantic involvement with Ncube.

"I'm not in love with her. I'm not aware of the incident, maybe when it happened I was not around.

"It's better you come to the ground (St Bernard's Parish) then you meet the parties involved. I can't comment any further."

Father Thomas Kutwa's name was fingered in the infidelity accusations after Ncube, who is a nurse at Ingutsheni Hospital sued Filunyu who is a teacher, claiming she was tarnishing her image by confronting her in public spaces and hurling insults at her while accusing her of being in love with her husband.

In her application for a peace order at the Western Commonage Court Ncube said Filunyu also shamed her by claiming she was in love with their priest.

She said the accusations levelled against her have left her emotionally drained.

In her affidavit she said: "I'm applying for a peace order against Lisa Blessed Filinyu. She is in the habit of insulting me while accusing me of being in love with her husband.

"She is also alleging that I'm in love with my priest who is stationed at St Bernard's. She usually sends threats through the phone.

"Last week on Sunday she confronted me at church and manhandled me and was restrained by church members as she wanted to beat me up.

She once confronted me at my workplace and shouted obscenities at me," she said.

In response Filinyu said Ncube was a "man-snatcher".

"She is a prostitute and she has been boasting about how my husband "does" it in bed. She has the guts to tell me that she slept with my husband.

She is on a mission to wreck my marriage and she is also in love with the priest."

Filunyu's husband also leapt to his wife's side and said: "I have been dating Lynette for almost a year and we broke up sometime last year.

"But what is disturbing me now is that she is in the habit of phoning my wife, ranting that there is nothing special about me saying she slept with me on countless occasions. By doing so she will be emotionally abusing her."

The presiding magistrate Shepherd Mnjanja granted Ncube a protection order.

Filinyu was ordered not to verbally and physically abuse Ncube and also not to visit her at her workplace and home in Old Pumula suburb.

Masanda was also granted a protection order against Ncube.

Ncube was also ordered not to go to Masanda's home and not to communicate with him.