A Bulawayo man who could not contend living with the damning reality of being divorced by the love of his life is now demanding reimbursement of the bride price he paid from the parents of his estranged wife of 12 years.
The disgruntled Artwel Homera (main picture) who was dumped by his wife after he became jobless reportedly followed his ex-wife to her rural home where, upon arrival, he reportedly stormed into his mother-in-law’s bedroom while she was stark naked and demanded that she pays him back his lobola money.
Homera contends that it was his wife Sekai Timothy who got him fired at one of the leading chain stores in Bulawayo and when he stormed into his mother-in-law’s bedroom he had reportedly threatened to commit suicide.
On the other hand, Sekai contends that she separated with Homera because of his abusive behaviour.
She has since approached the Bulawayo Civil Court seeking a restraining order against Homera.
“I was customarily married to Artwell Homera and we have two children together. He assaults and insults me in front of our children calling me a prostitute. When we were still staying together, he was not paying rentals, school fees for the children or even caring for them. He would come home very drunk and started being violent such that it was no longer safe for me to stay with him. The children were also living in fear of their father,” she said.
The intervention of church elders and their relatives to mend the crumbling relationship failed to pay dividends, submitted Sekai.
“I need a protection order against him because when I left for my rural home in Mutorashanga together with the children he followed us,” said Sekai.
She added:
“He was also sending abusive text messages while, threatening to commit suicide at our homestead because he paid lobola for me and that he could not lose me just like that. He even forcibly went into my mother’s bedroom while she was naked and my mother had to scream and plead with him to leave and he refused. I had to call his brother to calm the situation.”
On the other hand, Homera said he only went to Mutorashanga with the intention of seeing his children who had gone with their mother, his estranged wife Sekai.
“I am not opposed to her application. When I went to her rural home, I was following my children. I even stayed there for two months. She is making this application because I found love messages in her phone which she was exchanging with her boyfriend. What also pains me is that she is the one who got me fired from my job. She is also abusing our children by forcing them to walk more than three kilometres from their homestead to sell tomatoes,” said Homera.
Presiding over the case, magistrate Nomasiko Ndlovu ordered Homera against visiting Sekai’s rural homestead. Ndlovu also said Homera must stop insulting Sekai.
state media
Additional Reporting: Zwnews
