'Central locking threatens marriage'

A Harare woman has told a Harare Civil Court that she is no longer willing to stay with her husband as he can not satisfy her sexually because his former wife had locked him using the traditional medicine known as runyoka.

Ronella Chirimuuta said this during her application seeking a protection order against her husband Clever Maichani.

"I fell in love with this man when he had other wives and I stayed with him as my husband.

"We married legally and he started going back to his other wife who was envious of the relationship we had," Chirimuuta told the court.

"That woman 'locked' his manhood and now it is affecting us because he no longer performs in the bedroom.

"He is not affected when he is with that woman and he blames me and accuses me of 'locking' when he is with his relatives.

"I am seeking the court's protection so that he is barred from visiting my workplace and stops sending threatening messages.

"I want to divorce this man and the court has to assist me on that," she said.

Chirimuuta said she was continuously living in fear of Maichani because she advised him to consult a traditional healer to reverse the 'central locking'.

In his defence, Maichani argued that Chirimuuta did not have evidence that his former wife cast the spell on him.

"I did not insult or threaten her and she does not have witnesses who can testify that we have a problem in our bedroom."

The magistrate Ms Rebecca Kavhiya ordered Maichani to observe peace towards Chirimuuta.

Ms Kavhiya said Maichani was not barred from visiting her workplace or place of residence because they were legally married and told them that divorce proceedings would be done only at the High Court.