‘My wife killed my mother’

A MUTARE woman is being shunned by her husband and children for allegedly practicing witchcraft and causing her motherin-law’s death.

Jekai Chinomwe claims that her husband, only identified as T Chiwerenje, has turned his back on her.

She also says she is being denied access to her children, although some of them are now adults.

This emerged at Mutare Civil Court when Chinonwe was seeking a protection order against Chiwerenje.

The couple recently appeared before Mutare magistrate, Ms Purity Gumbo.

Ms Gumbo granted the protection order in Chinonwe’s favour.

Chinomwe told the court that Chiwerenje has hired goons to terrorise her in a bid to evict her from their matrimonial home.

“We built this house together and I have every right to occupy it. After I resisted his eviction bid, he resorted to hiring bouncers to force me out.

“At one time they were armed to the teeth and assaulted me all over the body,” said Chinomwe.

She said at times she would seek refuge in the bush.

Chinomwe said Chiwerenje also barred their children from visiting her as he accuses her of being a witch.

“I have not seen my children for the past four years because my husband barred them from visiting me. I want to have access to my children. Most of them are already married, but I haven’t had the joy of playing with my grandchildren because of this man.

“I am struggling to put food on the table because my husband is no longer providing anything for me. He is now co-habiting with another woman,” said Chinonwe.

However, Chiwerenje denied the allegations.

He said he last saw his wife in June when he was applying for a protection order against her.

“I do not know where these allegations are coming from because I have not seen my wife in a very long time. I had to apply for a protection order against her because of her unrelenting and constant insults.

“For a long time l tried to tolerate her insults, but her actions were taking a toll on my health. l think there is a spirit behind her actions and I believe she is being haunted by my late mother who she allegedly murdered,” said Chiwerenje.

He added: “We consulted a spiritual healer after my mother’s death in 2012 and we were told that my late mother’s avenging spirit was demanding appeasement from my wife since she allegedly had a hand in her death.

“We took the matter to our local chief. This is why I moved out of our matrimonial home. I do not have another wife as she claims. She is just making up stories,” he said.

Chiwerenje said he stopped communicating with Chinonwe out of fear that she would fabricate allegations against him.

“I am still providing her groceries and I have not hired anyone to harass her. The people who visited her were the chief ’s aides who were following up on my late mother’s appeasement.

“I love my wife and I want us to be a happy family again but that can only happen after my mother’s spirit is appeased.

“I did not stop our children from seeing their mother but of late she has not been in their good books. I cannot force grown women and men to visit their mother,” said Chiwerenje.

Chinomwe said she is against the chief ’s ruling that she should appease her late mother-in-law’s avenging spirit.

She said the Chiwerenje family should in fact give her a token of appreciation for taking care of their matriach until her death.

“I am shocked that this family is now accusing me of causing the death of my mother-in-law when I am the one who took care of her when she was diagnosed with cancer.

“If they suspected that I had something to do with her death, why did they not seek spiritual guidance soon after my motherin-law’s death in 2012?,” said Chinomwe.