A Chigodora woman who lent her husband money for her lobola has been divorced after demanding the money back.
Jennifer Maparanyanga revealed that her husband, Kenny Mlambo who was so loving and caring during the first few years of their marriage, turned into a beast after she asked him to pay back the US$300 that she loaned him for her bride price.
The matter was recently heard by Headman Chigodora’s court.
Jennifer was accompanied by her father, Phineas Maparanyanga.
She wept uncontrollably throughout the court session, claiming that her life turned into a living hell the moment she asked for her money back.
She said Mlambo has been abusive and accuses her of being ungrateful and disrespectful.
Jennifer said she has tried to seek help from the police and family elders, all in vain.
“When he eventually paid the money, he told me that the money was now my husband since I love it so much. He started coming home late and would sleep clad in his work suits, denying me my conjugal rights. He says the money should fulfil those matrimonial duties,” said Jennifer.
She said Mlambo has also stopped providing for the family, telling her to use the US$300.
“I have told his sisters about this but he is not budging despite their intervention. Instead, he accuses me of telling his relatives that he is a useless man in bed,” she said.
Jennifer said she only agreed to help Mlambo with the lobola money due to her love for him and the fact that she desperately wanted to get married.
“He told me that he wanted to marry me but only had US$600, which to him was very little and disrespectful to my father. I lent him US$300 to top up his money. He promised to pay back the money the following month, but failed to do so,” she said.
Jennifer said during the lobola ceremony, she got the shock of her life when Mlambo only paid US$300, instead of US$900.
“I was shocked when Mlambo and the go-between only paid the US$300 that I had given him.
“I asked him about the other US$600 that he had claimed he had, and he told me that he had used it to buy the clothes they were putting on during the ceremony. He said the rest of the money had been confiscated by his mother,” said Jennifer.
Jennifer’s father, Phineas Maparanyanga, said he got to know that his daughter had paid her own lobola after interrogating her.
“She was trying to keep this issue under wraps because she loves her husband. However, one day, I interrogated her on why they were always fighting. She told me the genesis of their endless fights.
“She burst into tears, confessing that she had unknowingly paid her own lobola. I was hurt because Mlambo tricked my daughter. Up to now I am still hurt because he is staying with my daughter for ‘free’,” charged Maparanyanga.
In response, Mlambo said he wants to divorce Jennifer for spreading lies about his poor performance in bed.
“She is pregnant, yet she tells me that I am useless in bed and that I sleep in my work suits. Had I been useless in bed, she would not be pregnant.
“Why does she insist that I am responsible for the pregnancy? I now believe that she is carrying someone else’s baby. I want her out of my life but her parents are refusing to take her back because they claim that I tricked her into paying her own lobola. I have since paid the money that I owed her,” said Mlambo.
He went on to beg Headman Chigodora to ask the Maparanyanga family to take back their daughter.
In his ruling, Headman Chigodora said it was an abomination that Mlambo had made his wife pay her own lobola.
He stated that Mlambo should pay damages to the Maparanyanga family.
“Since you no longer want their daughter after you tricked her into marrying herself, you will have to pay damages of US$3 000.
“You did not pay any lobola to the Maparanyangas since it was their daughter’s money that you paid them during the lobola ceremony. What you did was very disrespectful to your in-laws and your wife. You are a trickster, and for that you need to work hard and pay the damages to them,” ruled Headman Chigodora.
