By Panashe Divine Karidzagundi
A Beitbridge man has been granted a protection order against his wife after accusing her of assault, threats to kill him, and repeated stalking at his workplace.
The matter was heard at the Beitbridge Civil Court on Thursday where Ephraim Shava sought a protection order from his violent wife Alima Shava.
He cited domestic violence and harassment.
In his application, Ephraim told the court his wife had been assaulting him and threatening to kill him.
He further alleged that she repeatedly followed him to his workplace and frequently visited his current place of residence despite the couple no longer living together.
“We are married and we have children together, but she assaults me and threatens to kill me. She keeps stalking me at my workplace and comes to my current place of stay. I want her to stop assaulting me and doing all these things,” Ephraim told the court.
Responding to the allegations, Alima said her actions were motivated by an attempt to protect her marriage, claiming her husband had another woman.
“The issue is that I was trying to protect my marriage. My husband has a girlfriend. I went to her homestead peacefully to talk to her so that she leaves my husband alone and to collect my husband’s clothes. That is when my husband arrived with police officers claiming that I wanted to assault his girlfriend,” she said.
Alima told the court that she did not object to the granting of the order but expressed her wish to continue living with her husband.
However, Ephraim maintained that he no longer wanted any contact with her, describing further incidents that strained their relationship.
He alleged that on one occasion she removed car keys from the ignition while the vehicle was in motion, putting his life in danger.
He also told the court their relationship broke down, saying she sometimes denied him conjugal rights but would demand intimacy on her own terms.
Ephraim further claimed that when he once threatened to report her behaviour to the police, she allegedly warned him that she would open a rape case against him if he did so.
“I no longer want to stay with her or see her near me or coming to my homestead. We are no longer living together,” he said.
The court granted the protection order and barred Alima from assaulting, threatening, harassing, or stalking Ephraim.
Kaweni also ruled that she should only approach him when matters concerning their children arise.
The protection order will remain in force for for a period of five years.