Man Fined Three Cattle For Affair With Uncle’s Wife In Makoni

A man from Masvosva Village in Makoni District has been fined three cattle by Chief Makoni’s community court after being found guilty of having an affair with his uncle’s wife, which led to the collapse of the marriage.

Lycius Chitovhoro was convicted of adultery with Faina Mhlanga, the wife of Leonard Mhara, following a hearing at the traditional court.

Mhara, who works with Chitovhoro in Harare, discovered the affair after seeing intimate messages on his wife’s phone. He kept the phone and continued communicating with Chitovhoro to collect more evidence.

The case was first reported to Headman Masvosva. Chitovhoro denied the claims, but he was later ordered to pay a fine of US$500 and three goats.

When Chitovhoro refused to comply, the case was taken to Chief Makoni’s court. Mhara described in court how the affair led to the breakdown of his marriage. Said Mhara:

“I discovered love messages on my wife, Faina Mhlanga’s phone, where Chitovhoro was communicating with her.

“We have since separated, and I have returned her to her parents, who have accepted her.

“Even after our separation, Chitovhoro continued to communicate with her. I reported the matter to the village head, where Chitovhoro disputed the allegations.

“The matter was transferred to Headman Masvosva, where he again denied the allegations.”

He added that Chitovhoro eventually admitted to the affair during the transfer of the case. Said Mhara:

“When the headman was in the process of transferring the case to this court, he changed his plea and admitted dating my wife. He offered me US$300.

“I declined the offer, as it was too little considering the expenses I had incurred transporting my wife and her belongings back to her family. I demanded US$900.

“The headman later charged US$500 and two goats, which were supposed to be delivered within two weeks. After two weeks, the goats were not delivered.

“The headman advised him to pay up through a letter, which Chitovhoro ignored. The headman referred the case to this court.”

During the hearing, the court was shown text messages between Chitovhoro and Mhlanga that detailed their relationship. The messages supported Mhara’s claims and made the affair clear.

Court documents revealed that Chitovhoro and Mhlanga had even planned where to meet. Chitovhoro suggested a lodge as their “love nest,” while Mhlanga proposed her own home, saying her husband was often away.

Chitovhoro denied admitting to adultery but did admit sending the messages. He claimed he thought he was texting another woman named Shantie.

He also said Mhara’s wife divorced him because of her affair with another man, her sister’s husband, not because of Chitovhoro.

Despite his defence, Chief Makoni found Chitovhoro guilty of adultery and of destroying his uncle’s marriage. The court said his explanation was weak since he admitted to communicating with Faina.

Chitovhoro was fined three cattle and ordered to pay Mhara US$110 to cover court costs. He was given three months to pay. Chief Makoni dismissed Chitovhoro’s defence as evasive. Said the chief:

“Chitovhoro is trying to be clever, but there is overwhelming evidence. He admitted that he was the one communicating with Faina.

“The messages are explicitly clear that there was a sexual relationship between Chitovhoro and Faina. He also admitted the allegations before the headman, but later reneged on payment.

“He was fully aware that Faina was his uncle’s wife, but proceeded to date her. The marriage between Mhara and Faina has since collapsed.

“Chitovhoro is not a good relative, as he was aware that Faina was cheating with another man, instead of alerting Mhara, he went on to date her.

“Chitovhoro is fined three beasts and has three months to pay. He is ordered to meet Mhara’s US$110 cost of the lawsuit.”

More: The Manica Post