Wife scalded me with boiling water - CEO
MBABANE – Former Youth Revolving Fund (YRF) Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Bhekizwe Maziya on Wednesday revealed that his wife, Nonhlanhla Masilela, scalded him with boiling water after he threatened to marry a second wife.
Maziya, who is now the CEO of the National Agricultural Marketing Board (NAMBoard), told the court that his wife waited for him to sleep before she scalded him with the boiling water in the middle of the night.
“We had a lengthy discussion concerning my wife’s behaviour prior to the incident. We had a misunderstanding when I tried to remind her about the family principles. She was used to imbibing alcohol, which was against the Maziya family principle. She was also failing to accord me the respect I deserved as head of the family,” Maziya told the court.
He added that Masilela had a tendency of shouting at him in the presence of their children. “We failed to reach common ground, even after I had threatened to marry a second wife who would accord me the respect that I deserve as a man. I also told my wife that the ball was in her court, meaning she had to decide whether she repented or she let me marry the second wife. We then went to bed after we had agreed that we disagreed,” he submitted.
He quoted his wife having said ‘you will marry the second wife over my dead body’, meaning that would never happen. ‘We would rather both lose you (singamane sikuluze sobabili)’.
However, in the middle of the night, Maziya told the court that he was woken by hot water which was poured on his face. He submitted that when he looked around, he found his wife standing there.
He further told the court that he also discovered that all the blankets had been removed before he was scalded with the boiling water, which was prepared in a kettle and poured it into a 10-litre bucket. “I screamed in pain but my wife paid no attention. Instead, she brought more water and continued to pour on me, saying they would rather both lose me than for her to allow me to marry a second wife. I tried to avoid the boiling water, however, she scaled me at the back and left arm,” he submitted.
Fearing
He told the court that his wife left the house immediately after scalding him with the boiling water. He stated that he locked the door fearing that his wife might come for a third attack.
The CEO said he then changed his clothes so that he could leave the house to seek help. “I left the house in full sprint because I feared that she would come for me. Knowing her behaviour, I feared that she would smash the car should I drive out of the homestead. I had to jump over the gate because I had forgotten the keys. I walked about a kilometre before I lost strength. I decided to walk while calling the police and paramedics because I feared that she might follow me,” he submitted.
He told the court that he eventually sat on the ground as he felt weak, before he was fetched by an ambulance.
It was his evidence that he then discovered that he had forgotten his medical aid card in the car. He mentioned that he requested the ambulance driver to drive past his brother’s homestead so that he could ask him to fetch his medical aid card. “I also climbed the gate because nobody responded when we hooted at the gate. Luckily, I met my brother within his yard. He then went home to fetch my car together with the medical aid card before I was rushed to the Mbabane Clinic, where I was admitted,” he submitted.
Maziya told the court that police officers recorded a statement from him and further took pictures of the injuries from the hospital bed.
A police officer from the Scenes of Crime confirmed having taken pictures of Maziya’s injuries from the hospital bed. The officer also handed over the pictures as part of evidence.
However, during cross-examination, Masilela put it on Maziya that he provoked her on the day of the incident. She claimed that Maziya already had a girlfriend prior to the discussion, when he declared his desire to marry a second wife. Masilela also claimed that she believed what Maziya was saying to be true because he had mentioned that he had a picture of the homestead which he had already purchased for his soon-to-be wife. “You said you would not show me the picture because I would be jealous,” she submitted.
In response, Maziya denied having provoked the situation. He stated that instead, his wife was abusive towards him. “I never talked about a picture of a newly-purchased homestead and there was no way I would have built another homestead besides the one at KaNcesi. Even though I had a girlfriend, my threats were not real but meant to scare you so that you can change your ways. You were used to threatening me each time we had an argument,” Maziya told the court.
Masilela accused Maziya of lack of affection and denying her conjugal rights, something she claimed resulted in her opting for alcohol. She told the court that Maziya would at times leave the bed and sleep on the floor. “It was neglect, lack of affection and denial of conjugal rights that led me to drink alcohol. You told me to leave my job, promising to cater for my needs, something you never did,” she submitted.
Business
However, Maziya responded that he never neglected his wife. He told the court that he tried everything in his power to support her. He stated that he was so supportive that he even gave his wife capital to start her own business.
“I am a fervent liSwati born from KaLanga. I subscribe to the custom which forbids men from sleeping next to their wives during their menstrual periods. A wife does not cook for me during her menstrual cycle. This was not new to you, since I introduced you to our custom. I never took you by surprise as you were the one who communicated when you were on your menstrual cycle,” he submitted.
The wife also alleged that Maziya used to return to the house at 3am the following day or spend the night in his car at a filling station.
Maziya told the court that he only returned home for a few days due to the nature of his job, when he was a CEO at the Youth Revolving Fund. At the time, he told the court that he had many meetings as the fund was at a revival stage, yet there were few employees.
He acknowledged spending nights inside the car at the filling station because he had a problem with driving for long distances, in particular at night.
The matter continues in court.
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