First Lady’s GBV Call Centre continues to uncover heart-wrenching cases

Blessings Chidakwa

First Lady Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa’s Gender-Based Violence (GBV) Call Centre continues to expose deeply distressing cases, with the latest involving two couples from Manicaland Province.

Yesterday, First Lady Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa held a heartfelt, motherly discussion with the affected couples, who had drawn public attention for all the wrong reasons.

In a shocking twist, a man Chimuti (not his real name) impregnated the wife of his neighbour Nyuchi (also not his real name), causing an uproar in their closely-knit community.

The case was brought to light through an anonymous call to the national GBV Call Centre, 575, seeking the First Lady’s intervention.

Visibly broken, Nyuchi already rejected by his family shared a painful account of how he permitted his wife to find another man to satisfy her sexually, owing to his challenges.

“I grew up in a family where my parents used juju, to the extent that they bewitched me so I couldn’t marry or have children. My siblings rejected me. Later, I sought help from several churches and was eventually able to marry and father two children. But I couldn’t meet my wife’s sexual satisfaction, so I allowed her to find someone else to ‘cover-up’ for me,” he explained.

Nyuchi’s wife found a lover and carried on the affair for a year and a half before falling pregnant a turning point that shattered their already strained relationship.

Fighting back tears, she admitted, “We’ve been married for 18 years, but it has been a struggle. When he permitted me to find another man, I accepted and began seeing a local married man with my husband’s knowledge. I ended up pregnant but am still living at my marital home.”

She added that they usually meet in the bush or the field of boyfriend on cardboard boxes eating some goodies, sometimes lured by traditional maheu drink a detail that deepened her shame. Unfortunately, she confessed that the goodies were no longer coming as she was now pregnant.

The lover, Chimuti, now filled with guilt and remorse, described how their affair spiralled out of control.

“I admit, we had a gentleman’s agreement that I could sleep with his wife. But the pregnancy was not part of the plan. I already have three children, including a son, but wanted another boy. I’m ashamed of my actions.”

Chimuti’s wife, devastated by the betrayal, lamented the destruction the affair caused in her own home.

“It’s been hell. I haven’t shared a bed with my husband for over a year and a half. I’ve been denied my conjugal rights. It’s unbearable.”

Moved by the emotional turmoil, the First Lady offered motherly counsel, urging the couples and the nation to uphold the sanctity of marriage and morality.

“This case came to us via the GBV toll-free line, revealing an unthinkable arrangement of a woman with two husbands in the same neighbourhood. As a morally upright woman, she should have rejected the idea outright. Worse still, dating a neighbour and becoming pregnant is beyond comprehension.”

Dr Mnangagwa reminded the couples of their responsibility to be role models for their children.

“This is a disgrace of the highest order and should never be tolerated. Even our traditions condemn such behaviour. When marital problems arise, families should seek guidance from elders and relatives.”

Addressing Chimuti’s desire for another son, she advised, “All children are equal. Parents must avoid stereotypes that favour boys over girls. What matters is providing equal opportunities.”

Following the First Lady’s guidance, the couples expressed their gratitude for her compassion and wisdom. They vowed to end the illicit relationship between Chimuti and Nyuchi’s wife.

The First Lady instructed the GBV Call Centre to coordinate with the Department of Social Welfare for ongoing monitoring of the families involved.

Chimuti also pledged to compensate Nyuchi for the shame and damage caused. Through the Afrikana Family Humanism Programme, the First Lady continues to instill values of culture, integrity and moral discipline, with the aim of restoring dignity to Zimbabwean families.

The programme targets the eradication of promiscuity, gender-based violence, substance abuse and lawlessness social ills that are threatening the nation’s moral fabric.

The mother of the nation advised Chimuti and his lover to stop the unscrupulous relationship immediately as it is an abomination in our country’s culture. – Herald