A 23-year old man from the Esiphezini area in Umzingwane District, Matabeleland South Province, will forever live to rue the day he was overpowered by flooded emotions which resulted in him physically assaulting his 15-year old sit-in lover who he had caught pants down, enjoying sex with another man.
But, in what certainly appears to be double tragedy for John Mwembe, who certainly could not fathom the very sight of his minor ‘wife’ making the erotic screams of sexual satisfaction to another man, he reportedly attacked his wife, in response.
On the other hand, his underaged wife told Bulawayo magistrate Shepherd Munjanja that she was assaulted over a love message that she found on the mobile phone of the 23-year old, who is also an illegal gold miner.
In her submissions, the 15-year old girl-cum-head-of-the-family, said Mwembe was infuriated after she prodded him over the love message in question. She says Mwembe viciously reacted to the minor’s actions and flew into a rage, assaulting the teenage wife.
He was subsequently arrested after a police report in connection with the attack had been made in connection with the assault.
Yet, Mwembe did not withdraw his earlier claims that trouble started when he caught the 15-year old pants down, making love to another man.
“It is not true that I assaulted her because of love messages that she found in my phone. She lied to cover up her infidelity after I caught her red-handed having sexual intercourse with another man. On the day in question I was not at home. I was at work and I had even bought her some goodies as I wanted to surprise her as my wife,” Mwembe said.
“When I opened the bedroom door, I couldn’t believe my eyes when I found her in the act with another man. While trying to come to terms with what was happening, her partially naked boyfriend pushed me away and bolted out of the room.
“With the help of our neighbours some whom I also work with at the mine, we chased the boyfriend who also stays nearby and we apprehended him. We called his (boyfriend)’s relatives who came and witnessed the drama. I was surprised when she told the police that I assaulted her for confronting me over a love message she saw in my phone. That is not true,” Mwembe defended himself.
His teenage wife, however, didn’t come to court to testify against her allegedly violent husband and that again didn’t exonerate him. Mwembe told the court that after the incident, and out of shame she ran away from home.
He insisted she would never come to court to testify against him since she lied to the police that he assaulted her over a love message which she found in his phone.
“She will never come to court because she knows that she lied to the police to cover up her illicit affair to her relatives,” explained Mwembe.
However, his argument didn’t save him when the magistrate quickly ordered the prosecutor Terrence Chakabuda to charge him for another crime of having sexual intercourse with a minor.
“Your defence is understandable but the State has realised that you are sleeping with a 15-year-old girl whom you call your wife. A second charge of sleeping with a minor should be proffered to you. This is a serious crime and you cannot be given bail. You are therefore remanded in custody,” charged the magistrate.
state media
