Source: Polyandrous woman takes third husband to court – herald
Spiwe Sarakunze
Herald Reporter
A WOMAN from Harare who has three husbands has taken one of the men to court for being irresponsible, citing his lack of financial support and failure to contribute to household responsibilities.
Ms Sekai Makanya from Warren Park suburb brought her case before magistrate Johanna Mukwesha at the Harare Civil Court accusing her husband, Mr Tapera Mapfumo, of neglecting the family.
“My husband is failing to provide as a man, and when I ask him, he then becomes violent.
“We have one child together, and he does not even pay school fees; he expects me to do his duties,” said Ms Makanya.
She claimed that this had created tension and inequality in their shared living arrangement.
Ms Makanya said she sought to address these issues through mediation or counselling, but her husband became violent.
“I sought support from his family members to find a way out of this toxic situation but there was no solution, which is the reason why I applied for an order.”
Ms Makanya said she is being verbally abused by her husband, who claimed that since he is not the only husband, he should not be burdened with all the family responsibilities.
She said Mr Mapfumo is also in the habit of coming to her workplace, telling her mates that she is a thief, and that some of their missing products are at his house.
Ms Makanya claimed that her husband’s irresponsibility had caused significant stress and hardship for her and their child.
She told the court that Mr Mapfumo accepted her polyandrous marriage and gave her a child and must therefore not complain but act as a responsible father.
According to Ms Makanya, she cannot ask her other husbands to take care of Mr Mapfumo’s child while he is still alive.
In response, Mr Mapfumo disputed the allegations, dismissing them as baseless and exaggerated. He said he was a victim of the conflict between them.
“I take care of my child without anyone’s help. Makanya is married to three husbands and she must not force me to give her everything. After all, she likes men too much,” he said.
Mr Mapfumo said she assaulted him in public, claiming he is useless and irresponsible. He also claimed that he is living like a servant in the house and that at some point, Ms Makanya threw his belongings outside the house, yet he is the one who bought them.
Mr Mapfumo expressed willingness to work on their issues through counselling but firmly stood by his denial of the accusations.
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