. . . couple fined, relationship stopped forthwith
Nyore Madzianike Senior Weekender Reporter
AN INCESTUOUS relationship between a 20-year-old Nyanga man and his sister has been exposed after the duo sired a child.
Samuel Nyadawa, who grew up attending Johanne Marange apostolic church in Nyanga before taking a sabbatical, was in love with the daughter of his mother’s younger sister, Mavis Chekwa (18) and the affair was kept under wraps.
Their child is now seven months old.
The matter was first heard in Mavis’ church before a deacon decided to take it to the police. It has since spilled into Chief Saunyama’s court where the two were found guilty and punished for having an ‘improper’ relationship.
They were each ordered to pay a beast and goat, a sentence which Chief Saunyama said was reached after consulting Chief Charumbira, Chief Njelele of Gokwe and Chief Hata from Nyanga, after three days of court hearings and serious consultations.
Chief Saunyama also ordered the two to immediately end their three-year sexual relationship.
“This is the first of its kind to be heard in this court,” said Chief Saunyama.
“I had to consult other villager elders until I decided to consult Chief Charumbira, Chief Hata and Chief Njelele on how best to handle the matter.
“The dilemma was that Samuel and Mavis’ mothers are sisters making them first degree relatives yet they share different totems. Culturally, if they hailed from the same family, that is, on their fathers’ side and share the same totem we would have said bvisai mombe yecheka hukama,” he said.
Chief Saunyama said, having been seized with that dilemma, they at one point decided to take the matter to the magistrates’ court for criminal proceedings to take course.
“We only decided to be lenient after considering their ages and circumstances under which the relationship came into being,” he said.
Chronicling how the two ended up in a relationship, Samuel said it all started as ‘child play’ until his sister got pregnant.
Samuel said although he accepted Chief Saunyama’s court verdict his heart was left heavily bleeding as he dearly loves Mavis and their son.
Samuel Nyadawa
“It all started as child play when we were watering the gardens at the village. I used to visit my ‘wife’ at their homestead and I would do some of the menial jobs for them since our mothers are sisters.
“We were all alive to the fact that we are related. The plays blossomed into love affair that resulted in us having an intimate sexual relationship. She ended up being pregnant,” he said.
Samuel said it would take him ages to let his ‘wife’ go as their love and bondage had grown deeper.
“Our parents had agreed that I would pay lobola and Mavis’ mother had also accepted. We had plans to go and pay lobola in the next two months,” he said.
Mavis believes that the decision by the court was harsh on her considering that they were also forced to divorce. She said she spends sleepless nights pondering about her future after being separated from the love of her life.
“I still love my husband and it has been difficult for me to think of my future without him. We were happily in love and enjoying our union. Now that the court has decided to separate us, I do not know how I am going to survive and how my future would be,” she said.