Man snatches best friend's wife

A Makoni man has been ordered to compensate his longtime friend after Chief Makoni's community court found him guilty of engaging in an affair with the friend's wife, a case that has stunned villagers in Maparura Village, Makoni North.

Gift Chiteto, a close companion to Lawrence Nyamandi, was accused of having an intimate relationship with Nyamandi's wife, Lisa Munyanyi. The matter spilled into the traditional court after Nyamandi discovered text messages and recorded phone conversations which he said exposed the affair. The two families, known to be close and bound by years of friendship, have been left divided by the scandal.

Nyamandi told the court that he demanded eight cattle as compensation, arguing that the nature of communication between Chiteto and his wife proved the existence of a romantic relationship. He narrated how the discovery triggered conflict in his home, eventually leading Lisa to leave their matrimonial home for her parents' residence.

"I saw messages where Chiteto was romantically communicating with my wife. When I confronted her, she dismissed it and we fought. She later left for her parents' home, and I later discovered that it was Chiteto who encouraged her to leave so they could meet secretly. I also have recordings of their conversations," Nyamandi said.

Chiteto, however, denied the affair, insisting that the communication between him and Lisa was purely based on advice and moral support. He said Lisa confided in him about marital problems caused by Nyamandi's alleged infidelity and financial irresponsibility.

"I used to talk to Lisa, but we never exchanged love words. She came to me for advice after suspecting that Nyamandi was seeing another woman. I told her not to leave. I never had an affair with her," argued Chiteto.

Lisa also dismissed claims of infidelity and said she only spoke to Chiteto when frustrated by Nyamandi's misuse of funds from their tobacco sales. She said she sought counsel from both Chiteto and his wife, Mavis Mutanho, whom she considered a close confidant.

"I never dated Chiteto. I communicated with him for advice after my husband squandered our tobacco money. His wife is my friend, and she has always helped me. My husband found a voice note I sent to Chiteto and forced me to leave. I am shocked we are here today," Lisa told the court.

The dramatic turn in the hearing came when Nyamandi played a 30-minute phone recording between the two, a moment that left the courtroom in laughter and disbelief. In the recording, Lisa urged Chiteto to avoid calling her directly, fearing that her husband was monitoring her phone and could retrieve their communication records. She also expressed dissatisfaction with her marriage and suggested her return home was only due to family pressure, not reconciliation.

Chiteto, in the recording, sought to reassure her, telling her not to be controlled or intimidated by her husband and insisting that he could not access their messages without police involvement.

After reviewing the evidence, Chief Makoni's court ruled that Chiteto had engaged in an inappropriate relationship with a married woman. He was ordered to compensate Nyamandi with one beast and to pay US$150 to cover the costs of the lawsuit. In addition, he was fined three goats and granted one month to settle the penalty.

The ruling has sparked widespread discussion within the community, with many residents expressing disbelief over the fall-out of a long-standing friendship and the public exposure of private marital tensions.