Gardener burnt with boiling water after being caught cheating with married woman

A Borrowdale Brook gardener is battling for his life at Parirenyatwa Hospital after he was scalded with boiling water for cheating with a married woman.

Owen Katanga was trapped with his married girlfriend only identified as Hilda or Mai Alvin after their illicit affair was exposed to the latter's husband Christopher Patrick, who is also a gardener in Cranborne.

Owen, who confirmed cheating with Hilda, claimed that he was burnt and threatened with a knife and an axe. He is nursing burns on his right arm, back and his abdomen and is admitted on Bed 29 in ward B4 at Parirenyatwa Hospital.

Christopher denied wielding an axe or knife as claimed by Owen. He however insisted that he only used hot water.
 
"I never used an axe or knife but hot water only and you must not believe all that he is saying for he is a liar. That is all I can say because this issue is being handled by the police," said Christopher.
 
Hilda and her husband planned to invite Owen to their place of residence where she is a maid at House No. 28 Twickenham Drive in Mount Pleasant last week.
 
When our news crew visited Owen on Thursday he was still writhing in pain, grateful that his seemingly 'troublesome' private parts were spared.
 
"It is true I have been in love with Hilda for nearly three years and she indicated to me that she was married. I believe Hilda planned with her husband to fix me because her calls inquiring about my ability to visit her that day were questionable. Had I trusted my instincts I could have not met this fate and truly I am in the sort of pain I will never forget.
 
"I visited her at around 7pm with plans to sleep there since her husband works in Cranborne and I found her alone. There was boiling water in the pot and I never suspected anything. Within 5 minutes, Christopher opened the door and quickly locked it before assaulting me and he immediately poured the boiling water on me.
 
I had no cash on me and I surrendered my Nokia N70 Hilda's boss witnessed Christopher telling me that he wanted to kill me with an axe which was under the bed while holding a knife. Christopher gave me his contact number so that I would pay him US$500 through Eco-cash before releasing me and I gained [power and informed my brother who later led me to make a police report.

"It was better for them to get me arrested than be cruel to this extent. The images of their barbaric attack still haunt me as the nurses attend to me in hospital. My buttocks were also affected and I am struggling to to sit. I spend the whole day lying in bed," said Owen in a bedside interview.

In another interview, Hilda confirmed cheating with Owen and she said her husband became angry after Owen told him that he was retaliating as he also lost his wife to another man.

"My husband's niece is the one who exposed my affair with Owen to my husband when we were living in Borrowdale. Owen akandivhevhetedza until I agreed to fall in love with him before Christopher's niece discovered it. Christopher sent text messages to Owen ordering him to stop associating with me and his replies provoked my husband and we agreed to set him up.

"On the day in question, Owen told my husband that he (Owen) lost his wife to another man so he was retaliating. This enraged my husband and he burnt Owen with hot water meant for preparing rice. We started dating in 2011 after I told him that I was married with one child and we agreed to move on. Owen boasted that he has a lot of money for he works as a gardener in Borrowdale and my husband is a gardener in Cranborne. Before he dated me, he was in love with another woman named Hilda as well and we clashed and ana Hilda anovada chaizvo," said Hilda.