Zimpapers Logo

Prosper Dembedza Court Reporter
A Harare man is in the habit of burning his wife’s ARVs as a way of punishing her whenever they have a misunderstanding, the Civil Court heard yesterday.

Sibongile Ndlovu claimed her husband, Mathius Ndlovu, was in the habit of sleeping with a knife underneath his pillow to intimidate her.

She was seeking a protection order against Mathius whom she accused of breaching her peace and making her life horrible.

“He burns my ARVs whenever we have a misunderstanding and at times he closes all the windows and starts burning spices in the house choking me and the children,” she said.

Sibongile told magistrate Mr Trevor Nyatsanza that Mathius was also in the habit of selling their matrimonial property to buy alcohol.

“I am now living in fear because he is now threatening to kill me and most of the time he sleeps with a knife underneath his pillow,” said Sibongile.

She pleaded with Mr Nyatsanza to grant her application saying she had endured a lot of suffering at the hands of Mathius. He admitted the allegations saying it all happened while they were living in South Africa.

“I never burnt spices inside the house but they spilled on a hot plate as I was preparing my food,” he said.

Mathius told the court that Sibongile would send her nude pictures to her boyfriend.

“I intercepted her naked pictures which she sent to her boyfriend and I have them right now as proof,” said Mathius.

Mr Nyatsanza granted the order in Sibongile’s favour which barred Mathius from physically or verbally abusing her.

He also ordered Mathius to keep peace towards her at all times.