The ManicaPost
Luthando Mapepa Chipinge Correspondent
A BED-HOPPING Chipinge grandpa was last week fined $1000 in adultery damages after being found guilty of bedding the wife of the Zion Apostolic Church bishop.
ZCC Chipinge leader bishop Gilbert Mashava had dragged Ndodini Mujeki, of Maronga village, to Chipinge Civil Court, accusing him of bedding his wife Anna Mashava.
Chipinge magistrate Mr Poterai Gwezhira presided over the matter and ruled in favour of the aggrieved church leader saying he had adduced irrefutable and incriminating evidence against the wife snatcher.
Mr Gwezhira slapped a grey-haired Mujeki with $1000 adultery damages fine.
Mashava had approached the court seeking $3000 in adultery damages saying the incident had lowered his standing in both society and church.
The court heard that in August 2017 the defendant Mujeki was fully aware that Mashava (60) was married to the ZCC leader under the African Marriages Act, but went into an adulterous relationship with her.
The lovebirds would have quality time in the plaintiff’s bedroom during his absence.
Mashava got the wind of the adulterous affair between Mujeki and his wife through a tip-off while away at his plot.
“After I heard about the affair, I immediately confronted my wife over the issue and she elected to respond through our nephew. The nephew was then asked to talk to her and she admitted to the adultery allegations and apologised.
“The nephew confirmed that the affair between the two saying the defendant had proposed my wife while she was working in the fields and she accepted the love proposal. From that day the defendant would come to my house and indulge in sex with my wife during my absence.
“This lowered my standing as a family man in the eyes of society and as bishop of the Zion Apostolic Church. Therefore, on this basis, I claim $3 000 from the defendant,” said Mashava.
Mujeki had initially disputed the claim.
He argued that Mashava fabricated the allegation to avoid paying his wage arrears backdating to 2004.
“Since 2004 I have been working for the plaintiff without being paid. I was working at his plot over the years, and it was when I eventually demanded my dues that the adultery allegations were fabricated. I have never slept with Mashava wife at all,” said Mujeki.
Mujeki’s defence did little to convince Mr Gwezhira, who passed a verdict against and ordered him to pay Mashava $1000.
