A YOUNG Odzi prophet allegedly snatched a married woman from her husband and has been staying with her for three months.
The love struck husband is now demanding his wife back home.
Gerald Masoni has been taking care of his two adolescent daughters after his wife, Ronika Mangure, eloped with Prophet Tafataona Marufu.
Masoni recently approached Acting Chief Zimunya’s court seeking recourse and said he is yet to come to terms with his separation from his wife.
He said his wife’s affair with Prophet Marufu, who was their neighbour, was the talk of the Arda Transau community for a long time until the two lovebirds cemented their relationship by eloping.
“These girls need their mother’s guidance. I think it will be wise for my wife to come back home and take care of her daughters. I am ready to forgive her if she comes back.
“How will I stay with these girls alone, especially as the country is awash with cases of girl child abuse? May this honourable court assist me,” he said.
“They were well-known lovebirds but I was shocked when she eloped with him. The two’s relationship was an open secret in the community as they had been dating for a long time.
“However, what upsets me the most is that this prophet is way younger than my wife and l. I honestly do not see what he sees in Mangure because she is already a grandmother while his family is still young,” he said.
Masoni and his wife have six married children as well as two adolescent daughters.
In response to Masoni’s pleas for her to come back home, Mangure said she is head over heels in love with Prophet Marufu.
She vehemently refused pleas from both the court and Masoni to take her two daughters with her or find them a safe environment where they can stay with a female relative.
“I honestly do not know why this court is acting like this. I am not the first woman to leave her family and marry someone else. I no longer love this old man. I will not be with him ever again no matter what he or the court say.
“I still love my children and I will take care of them from where I am. I left them with their father, why should I be afraid?” she asked the court.
“I have a new man and I love him so much. My old ex-husband is blackmailing me because he is holding on to my furniture, which I want back. He is refusing to surrender it back unless I revert to being his wife,” said Mangure.
Acting Chief Zimunya told Mangure and Prophet Marufu that he was not trying to separate them.
Instead, he asked Mangure to come with her parents to the court so that she could formally divorce Masoni.
“We are trying to find an amicable solution to your issue. Divorce cases are on the increase in this area and it is quiet worrisome. What is more saddening is that the people wrecking the marriages purport to be Christians, people that are looked up to by the society. What the prophet did is unacceptable. We will deal with the matter when we finalise these two’s separation.
“Your daughters were neglected by their mother and we urge you Masoni and your female relatives to take good care of the children as they are now vulnerable. Make sure that they do not suffer from any abuses,” said Acting Chief Zimunya.
The matter was adjourned to December 11 to allow Mangure to bring her relatives to court.
— Manica Post
