The ManicaPost
Tanyaradzwa Mujati
Weekend Reporter
PEEPING at his brother’s wife during her bath time has landed a Mutare man in court.
The unrepentant Matthew Gombakomba was dragged to court last week for not changing his behaviour despite endless reprimands by other family members.
Even a fine of a goat did not knock any sense into his head.
Prisca Kandoro said Gombakomba who peeped at her as she was bathing has resorted to bullying her children as retaliation for exposing him.
“He is a pervert. He would come at the door during my bath time and peep at me. At first I ignored this, but realised that it was getting out of hand and confronted him.
“I had to tell my family and they forced him to pay a fine. He paid a goat as an admission of his wrongdoings. However, that was the genesis of the bad blood between us as he is now harassing my children and I ” she said.
Kandoro said Gombakomba came to her house and dug a trench in the yard to provoke her.
“I told my husband to move out of the family compound where we were staying with Matthew. We are now staying two houses from where he stays. Recently, he came to my house and dug a trench in my yard, saying he was clearing a way for himself.
“This other day my kids went to play with his children at his home. After dusk he came to my home demanding that my kids should clean his yard. I had to go and clean up the mess.
“He stopped me from doing that and attacked me with a fist. I fell down and he sat on top of me, punching me while his wife cheered him on. I do not know what I had done wrong,” she said.
Kandoro said when she reached out to her husband’s family to solve the dispute, they took Gombakomba’s side.
“I tried talking to his family, but have not solved our dispute. They barred me from reporting the issue to the police or to court, saying it will destroy the family.
“However, my husband instructed me to make this application as he wants peace to prevail. He does not know what will happen to me during his absence,” said Kandoro.
However, Gombakomba denied ever peeping at Kandoro.
“I do not know what she is talking about. She is just fabricating stories to tarnish my image. Why isn’t her husband here to support her claims? I can call my sister to testify. I never peeped at her or harassed her. Yes, I paid US$10 and a goat to her, but that was only after I was instructed to do so by her family.
“If she has a problem with me, why does she not tell my relatives?” argued Gombakomba.
The court called Gombakomba’s sister, Shorai Gombakomba, and she confirmed that her brother peeped at Kandoro while she was bathing.
“I think Kandoro filed this case out of anger because we recently had a meeting where we censored her against reporting such disputes to our in-laws. She is our daughter-in-law and we should solve family disputes without involving her family.
“The things she is talking about are happening, but we do not hate her. We were against her move to report the issue to the police as if we cannot solve it,” said Shorai.
Mutare magistrate, Mr Xavier Chipato granted the protection order in Kandoro’s favour. The order bars Gombakomba from harassing, insulting, assaulting or intimidating Kandoro for the next five years.
