The ManicaPost
Tendai Gukutikwa Weekender Correspondent
A BUHERA widow is living in fear after receiving death threats from her late husband’s younger brother as she had turned down his spousal inheritance offer (kugarwa nhaka).
Naume Kamhunga told the court that her life at the Sengu homestead has been a living hell for the past five years as she is subjected to various forms of abuse by her brother-in-law, Hamuzvioni Sengu.
Sengu is reportedly trying to arm-twist Kamhunga to accept his hand in marriage.
The pair appeared before Mutare magistrate, Ms Notebulgar Muchineripi, who granted a binding protection order for the two.
The order bars both parties from insulting, harassing, assaulting, threatening and breaching each other party’s peace.Kamhunga told the court that her husband died on May 18, 2015, and that Sengu accuses her of killing him.
“Following my husband’s death, everything was okay as we awaited the kugara nhaka rituals. On the day, I went past Sengu and handed the dish of water to his sister. Culturally, this means l gave her the responsibility to look after her late brother’s family,” explained Kamhunga
However, this did not go down well with Sengu as he had thought he would inherit his brother’s family.
Kamhunga told the court that Sengu is always harassing her saying she should not be staying alone at the Sengu homestead when her lobola was paid in full.
“He says the cattle given to my parents are still alive and therefore I should be performing my duties as a wife despite the death of my husband,” narrated the woman.
Kamhunga said the grudge has escalated to the extent that Sengu assaults her and is trying to evict her from her home.
She said on countless occasions, she has slept at the village head’s homestead after being kicked out by Sengu.
However, Sengu denied the allegations and told the court that he is a happily married man.
He begged for a binding protection order, claiming that Kamhunga is actually the one disturbing his peace by accusing him of killing his brother.
“She is the one who is trying to evict me from my late parents’ home as she claims that her late husband built it. She lets her cattle stray and graze in my fields. She is very violent and I never wanted her for a wife.
“She should not set foot on my homestead because each time she does so she causes a scene. In fact, I am starting to think that she wants to become my wife due to her false accusations,” he said.
