Woman granted protection order against abusive ex-lover

A local woman has been granted a protection order against her ex-boyfriend who has allegedly been harassing and abusing her following the end of their relationship.

Ms Lexina Mabato approached the Harare Magistrates' Court seeking legal protection from Mr Leonard Chizawiri, whom she accused of refusing to accept that their relationship was over.

Testifying before Magistrate Ms Johanna Mukwesha, Mabato said Chizawiri's behaviour had become increasingly aggressive and intrusive.

"He doesn't care about me, but whenever he sees me talking to another man or simply moving on with my life, he becomes furious," said Mabato. "He barges into my house and causes chaos."

She described a pattern of harassment in which Chizawiri would show up at her home uninvited and vandalise her belongings.

"The abuse has reached alarming levels. I now fear for my safety and that of my child. I had no option but to come to the courts for help," she added.

The court granted the protection order in Mabato's favour. Mr Chizawiri did not attend the hearing and was in default.

Magistrate Mukwesha's ruling bars him from contacting or approaching Mabato in any form, providing her with much-needed relief from the ongoing threats.

The case underscores growing concerns around domestic abuse and the need for legal safeguards to protect victims, especially women and children, from continued trauma following the end of relationships.