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Man steals wife's money, TV, fridge to bury love child
5 hrs ago | Views
A Harare woman has been granted a protection order against her husband after he stole household property and cash to fund the funeral of a child he fathered outside their marriage.
Sirena Mutisi took her husband, Elliot Maruye, to the Harare Civil Court yesterday, claiming emotional abuse and financial betrayal after Maruye sold their refrigerator, television, and solar battery, along with stealing US$210 from her, to raise funds for the burial of his late child from an extramarital relationship.
Maruye admitted to the accusations in court and pleaded for forgiveness, explaining his actions were driven by desperation.
"I was in a desperate situation, I had no other way to raise the money for the funeral," said Maruye. "I could not face the thought of my child being buried without dignity and I am sorry. What I did was wrong."
Mutisi told the court that her husband had become violent since the death of his child and began removing household items without her knowledge.
"I started noticing the disappearance of my household property and just assumed that my husband had gone to get them fixed," she said. "He received a call and I overheard him saying he was going to look for money to sponsor a funeral."
Her suspicions were confirmed the following day when she discovered her cash and valuables were missing. When confronted, Maruye confessed to using the money and selling the items to fund the burial.
"I felt used and betrayed that he would steal my money and use it to bury a child who was a product of his extra-marital affair," Mutisi added. "I am now broke, struggling to buy food for the month because my husband chose another family over us."
Presiding magistrate Meenal Narotam granted the protection order in Mutisi's favour and cautioned Maruye against further disrupting his marriage and household.
"You must stop destroying your marriage," ruled the magistrate.
The case has sparked debate on social media around marriage ethics, financial boundaries in relationships, and the emotional toll of extramarital affairs.
Sirena Mutisi took her husband, Elliot Maruye, to the Harare Civil Court yesterday, claiming emotional abuse and financial betrayal after Maruye sold their refrigerator, television, and solar battery, along with stealing US$210 from her, to raise funds for the burial of his late child from an extramarital relationship.
Maruye admitted to the accusations in court and pleaded for forgiveness, explaining his actions were driven by desperation.
"I was in a desperate situation, I had no other way to raise the money for the funeral," said Maruye. "I could not face the thought of my child being buried without dignity and I am sorry. What I did was wrong."
Mutisi told the court that her husband had become violent since the death of his child and began removing household items without her knowledge.
Her suspicions were confirmed the following day when she discovered her cash and valuables were missing. When confronted, Maruye confessed to using the money and selling the items to fund the burial.
"I felt used and betrayed that he would steal my money and use it to bury a child who was a product of his extra-marital affair," Mutisi added. "I am now broke, struggling to buy food for the month because my husband chose another family over us."
Presiding magistrate Meenal Narotam granted the protection order in Mutisi's favour and cautioned Maruye against further disrupting his marriage and household.
"You must stop destroying your marriage," ruled the magistrate.
The case has sparked debate on social media around marriage ethics, financial boundaries in relationships, and the emotional toll of extramarital affairs.
Source - zimpapers
