Nyazura adulterers pay heavily

TWO men accused of bedding a married woman in Nyazura were on Sunday convicted of their shenanigans and fined heavily after being ordered to pay three beasts each to the aggrieved husband.The adulterers, who were convicted by Headman Mpambawashe, are Saul Ratimba (50), an acting deputy head at St John Mupanguri Primary School in Nyazura and Austin Magondo – an aide to Chief Makoni who is also an elder with the Seventh Day Adventist Church.

The two sex predators will, however, pay two beasts each after the court reduced the penalty cognisance of mitigating factors.

The woman – Edith Chinoona (36) – who is married to Lazurus Medzai was not spared either as she was ordered to pay the headman a beast – which will be paid through her parents – to cleanse the area.

“What the three did was abominable, unacceptable and a retardation of our traditional values and norms. Such transgression warrants deterrent penalty. As a court we came hard on the three in equal measure so as to send a clear message to other would be offenders that a married woman is sacred and a no go zone for men with loose zips.

“Because the woman consented to such despicable acts of adultery, she is equally guilty, hence cannot be spared of the rod. She confessed by her own mouth, which means she is equally guilty, but we took into account the fact that she did not waste the court’s time unlike the two men. It was Edith’s responsibility to protect her marriage,” said Headman Mupambawashe.

Edith confessed to bedding Ratimba and Magondo in a belated bid to save her ailing baby from dying.

Medzai responded by bashing Ratimba, accusing him of using a charm to win the heart of his wife. He accused Magombo of using his influence as son of the village head and his alleged aide-ship to Chief Makoni to coerce his wife into the illicit relationship.

“I respect the judgement because it was passed by my community elders. I have not reflected on it since it happened only yesterday (Sunday). Idi rinoripwa, risidi rinoripwa. (One can be made to pay for the truth as well as falsehoods). I am pained. I am in serious problems. As you can see, I look older than my brothers due to what I am going through.

“That man (Lazurus) is my uncle and we are a family. There are people who are trying to break finer family fibres. I am in-between a hard rock and hard surface,” said Ratimba, who wore torn gloves of different colours and make on a warm Monday afternoon.

Magombo was not available for a comment – amid reports that he had gone with his father – a village head to lodge an appeal with Chief Makoni.
Magombo was denying the allegations, arguing that he was the first person to tell Lazarus that his wife was cheating with several men during his absence and this reached his wife’s ears who decided to silence him by offering to be intimate with him, but he refused.

He said the woman later confronted him saying he was not man enough.
“I heard that he has gone with his father to lodge an appeal with Chief Makoni. We wait to hear from the Chief,” said a source privy to the developments.

Medzai, who barred his wife from entertaining the Press, described the judgment as too lenient given the damage the two had inflicted on his marriage.

He said the marriage had suffered seriously and would surrender his wife back to her parents “so that Magombo” who lives a stone’s throw from his house “can have full access and take her as his wife.

“I thought we were neighbours, yet he was stabbing me on the back, sleeping with my wife. My late son saw him sneaking into my bedroom to sleep with my wife. He told me and repeated the same claims in the presence of my parents.

If a woman married to any member of our family indulges in adultery, the children fall sick and that condition can only be reversed when she confessed. “They have been dating my wife for the past two years and during that period I lost four children because my wife did not confess until she was confronted by my mother. It was after the confrontation that Edith confessed what we have been suspecting. Look I had seven children with her and four of them are gone because of their shenanigans, and I hold them accountable for the death of my children.

“I am really angry with Magombo. At one time he had problems with his wife, and I assisted him in solving the matter. I went to the extent of giving him a goat to go and pay his in-laws. He asked me to release my wife so that she could clean his house. I did this to help him and this is how he repaid me. Headman Mupambawashe has delivered his verdict, but I still view it as lenient because they have destroyed my marriage.

What shall I keep the wife for? Once they pay me the beasts, I will surrender the wife back to her parents. Anototi aende, Magombo will take her from her parents. Ratimba is a fool. He is my nephew and he went on to bed my wife. He is known for using charms against women in this village. He is shameless and unethical. How can a person of his standing do that? He has no brains,” lamented Medzai.
Edith has been sleeping around since 2014. She told Headman Mupambawashe that Ratimba approached her pleading with her to “quench his sexual appetite” arguing that his wife was denying him his conjugal rights. Ratimba and his wife, who teaches at Ruwombwe Secondary School in the vicinity, have been on separation since 2014.

The two’s marriage is on the rocks amid allegations and counter-allegations of infidelity. Sometime in 2014, Ratimba was fined a beast by a traditional court for dating another married woman in the village. This did not go well with his wife who opted out of the marriage. Ratimba now alleges that she was involved with a male nurse.

“Don’t refer to her as my ex-wife, she is my wedded wife and I love her. I have sent many people to convince her to come back home. Oh, I love her so dearly, she was my mother, love and nurse. I can even send you. I cannot imagine her in another man’s arms. The mere thought of it pains me. And I suspect she is part of the scheme to scandalise me in the Press,” said Ratimba.