The ManicaPost
Tendai Gukutikwa
Weekender Correspondent
Two siblings are at each other’s throats over disagreements on how their mother’s bull should have been sold.
The matter recently came to light when Precious Ngwanyamwanya dragged her brother Charles Ngwanyamwanya to Acting Chief Saunyama’s court.
The two’s mother, Gogo Ellina Ngwanyamwanya, also testified during the court session.
“He (Charles) wanted to kill his sister. He whipped her with a sjambok and I could not restrain him as he was furious. The bone of contention is that his sister, Precious, assisted me in selling my bull,” said Gogo Ngwanyamwanya.
Asked on what triggered the brawl, Charles said his sister connived with their mother to sell the bull without following the proper channels.
“I know I erred by assaulting her, but my actions were justified. In our culture, my mother cannot sell cattle without the family’s knowledge as this will backfire on us upon her death. Her relatives will descend on us demanding the cattle back even if she is the one who would have sold them.
“My sister turned a deaf ear to my advice. Instead, she connived with our mother to sell the bull. I got really mad and assaulted her,” he said.
Charles explained that his mother had once approached him seeking his nod in selling the bull as she needed money to consult traditional healers over the disappearance of his elder brother 20 years ago.
He said he advised his mother to consult her relatives first before selling the bull, but she spurned his advice and sold the bull.
“I assaulted Precious in the presence of her husband because when I asked her about the issue, she ridiculed me. She said since I am younger than her, I have no right to question her decisions. It incensed me because I am the father figure in the family. I am the one who takes care of our mother and for her to look down upon me is unacceptable. However I am sorry for my actions,” Charles pleaded with the court.
Precious told the court that she only intervened in selling the bull after her mother had told her that Charles had refused to play ball.
“He was so disrespectful when he assaulted me in the presence of my husband and children.
“I felt so degraded, my husband watched helplessly as he bashed me,” she said.
Precious claims that Charles hates her, adding that he is in the habit of venting his anger on her, hence her decision to take the matter before the chief’s court.
In his ruling, Acting Chief Saunyama fined Charles three goats and advised the siblings to settle their differences amicably.
“Charles’ advice to his mother was proper, but he should not have taken the law into his own hands and assaulted his sister.
“Gogo Ngwanyamwanya you should have consulted your relatives before selling that bull. Your son was right.
“Your children will be forced to replace it after your death as you did not inform your relatives before selling it,” ruled Acting Chief Saunyama.
He advised the elderly woman to inform her brothers about her decision to sell the bull.
