Mjane- Mahakama izuie wasipige mabwana zangu

A widow has asked a Harare court to interdict her brothers from harassing every boyfriend she dates.

Mary Chieza, who is under the custody of her brothers Itai, Abel and Baron Chieza, told the court that her siblings had destroyed her social life.

She said her brothers do not want to see her with any man ever since the death of her husband in 2008.

Chieza applied for a peace order against her brothers at the Harare Civil Court.

“My husband passed away in 2008 and they want details about every man that I associate with,” she complained to the Harare Civil Court.

“I am an adult now and can take care of myself. I want my brothers to stop interfering in my affairs. They are also disturbing my business because my male customers are now fleeing.”

The court heard Chieza’s brothers recently cuffed and assaulted her boyfriend who they found half dressed in her room.

“They were recently tipped of my boyfriend’s presence by their wives, broke into my room and handcuffed him. They took turns to bash him and only stopped when the man fainted,” Chieza told the court.

“They started pouring water on him to regain consciousness and released him when neighbours had intervened. My brothers are over protective but they should understand that the boyfriend might be the one fending for me.”

Chieza’s brothers said they were not comfortable with their sister’s conduct since they all resided with their families at the same house.

“I am not stopping her from doing whatever she wants but I am concerned with the place she is doing it,” said one of Chieza’s brothers Itai. “We have daughters at the house who look up to her as the eldest aunt, what will they learn from her?

“Her behaviour is going to have drastic effects on our families. Who will our wives consult for ideas and counselling if she engages into prostitution in their presence,” Abel chipped in.

“We beat her boyfriend thoroughly because we knew him to be married. It was also embarrassing because we live in the same neighbourhood with that man.”

Baron echoed similar sentiments: “Whenever we rebuke her unruly behaviour she responds ‘gotsi rinobhadhara’ to mean that she is actually proud of prostitution.”

Presiding magistrate Rebecca Kavhiya granted the peace order and advised all parties to observe peace.

“I will grant you the protection order but it does not apply to your male friends. They should make their own applications if they wish to be protected,” she said.