A man from Odzi has told a Mutare magistrate that his estranged wife hired soldiers and in-laws to assault him, leaving him seriously injured.
Ephraim Rwengwere appeared before Magistrate Thandiwe Sibanda seeking a protection order against his estranged wife, Lorraine Kamupira. He accused her of ongoing violence and of hiring people to attack him.
Rwengwere told the court that his marriage had broken down due to constant disagreements, leading to their separation in December. He said Kamupira later told him she was no longer interested in continuing the marriage.
He claimed that he was attacked during the dispute and suffered serious injuries, including bleeding when using the toilet. He said:
“Your worship, this woman is very evil. Last year, I was beaten by soldiers she hired until I passed blood mixed with human waste.
“Last year again, I was beaten by her mother and brother after she lied to them that I was bashing her, which I never did.”
During the hearing, the magistrate asked about the couple’s roora (bride price). Rwengwere said he had paid it in full and did not owe anything.
He told the court that some of the problems in the marriage started when Kamupira suggested they sleep in separate bedrooms, an idea he strongly opposed.
Kamupira disagreed with her husband’s account. She told the court that she was the one who had been forced out of the matrimonial home.
She said a serious dispute arose in January 2025 while she was in Harare. According to Kamupira, Rwengwere phoned her and claimed he had been told at a Masowe church that she was using traditional medicine in her private parts to harm him. She denied the allegation.
Kamupira further claimed that after this argument, she was chased out of the house together with their four children and was now staying at a friend’s home.
Rwengwere insisted that Kamupira was being mischievous. He said she had previously obtained a protection order against him, which led him to apply for one as well.
However, when Magistrate Sibanda asked whether Kamupira had personally assaulted him or directly caused him harm, Rwengwere failed to give clear evidence.
He maintained that the assaults were carried out by soldiers he claimed were hired by his wife, as well as by his in-laws.
In her ruling, Magistrate Sibanda dismissed Rwengwere’s application for a protection order, saying he had failed to prove that Kamupira had directly assaulted him.
The court also noted that the alleged assault by soldiers was not clearly detailed in his affidavits, making his claims too weak to justify legal protection.
Related:
No related.