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Man in court for violently demanding back lobola
17 hrs ago | Views
A Southlea Park woman, Ms Lilian Gwena, has secured a protection order against her husband, Claudius Gatawa, after accusing him of violent behaviour, sexual abuse, and harassment linked to his demand for a refund of the lobola he paid.
Testifying before Harare Civil Court magistrate Ms Johanna Mukwesha, Ms Gwena described her husband's conduct as aggressive and threatening.
"He always forces himself on me, harasses me and comes to my house unannounced, threatening to commit suicide," she told the court.
She said Gatawa had increasingly resorted to violence while pressing for the lobola refund and argued that any such demand should be addressed to her parents, who received the payment, not to her directly.
The court also heard that Gatawa frequently issued threats of self-harm in her presence, leaving her feeling unsafe. Her application cited harassment, verbal abuse, and sexual misconduct, and requested that he be barred from visiting her home.
In his defence, Gatawa denied the allegations of physical abuse, claiming instead that his mental health had suffered because of Ms Gwena. He alleged he was forced to leave their home after discovering intimate messages on her phone, which he said proved infidelity.
"I came across messages on her phone; she cannot deny it - she was cheating," he said, adding that he had paid lobola and committed to the marriage, only to now be "treated like a stranger."
Despite his claims, the court ruled in Ms Gwena's favour, granting the protection order. Magistrate Mukwesha prohibited Gatawa from sexually abusing, insulting, or threatening his wife, and urged him to pursue the lobola matter peacefully without resorting to violence.
Testifying before Harare Civil Court magistrate Ms Johanna Mukwesha, Ms Gwena described her husband's conduct as aggressive and threatening.
"He always forces himself on me, harasses me and comes to my house unannounced, threatening to commit suicide," she told the court.
She said Gatawa had increasingly resorted to violence while pressing for the lobola refund and argued that any such demand should be addressed to her parents, who received the payment, not to her directly.
The court also heard that Gatawa frequently issued threats of self-harm in her presence, leaving her feeling unsafe. Her application cited harassment, verbal abuse, and sexual misconduct, and requested that he be barred from visiting her home.
In his defence, Gatawa denied the allegations of physical abuse, claiming instead that his mental health had suffered because of Ms Gwena. He alleged he was forced to leave their home after discovering intimate messages on her phone, which he said proved infidelity.
"I came across messages on her phone; she cannot deny it - she was cheating," he said, adding that he had paid lobola and committed to the marriage, only to now be "treated like a stranger."
Despite his claims, the court ruled in Ms Gwena's favour, granting the protection order. Magistrate Mukwesha prohibited Gatawa from sexually abusing, insulting, or threatening his wife, and urged him to pursue the lobola matter peacefully without resorting to violence.
Source - The Herald
