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Lethokuhle Moyo Court Reporter
A BULAWAYO man sustained a shattered pelvis when his wife allegedly tried to run him over with a car after accusing him of having an affair. Patrick Mahlangu of Llewellyn yesterday told a Bulawayo magistrate he feared for his life following the incident. He begged the Civil Court to grant him a protection order against his wife, Zvisinei Mahlangu, who he said was abusive.

Patrick told the magistrate, Evelyn Mashavakure, that Zvisinei followed him to work one day and insulted him in front of his subordinates before smashing property in his office.

“I suffered three broken bones on my pelvis when she tried to run me over with a car. She did it intentionally after accusing me of having a girlfriend,” said Patrick. He said he did not report the matter to the police because he wanted to shield his two children from trauma.

When the magistrate asked the couple if they ever considered counselling, Patrick refused to seek help with his wife.

“Your Worship, after hitting me with the vehicle, she did not bother to visit me in hospital. She also came to my office one day and started insulting me in front of my juniors, she broke a book shelve and smashed my laptop,” Patrick said.

He told the court his relationship with his wife had broken down to an extent that she locks him out of their matrimonial bedroom and he had resorted to sleeping in a spare room.

Zvisinei admitted that she hit her husband with a car but told the court it was an accident.

She said she locked him out of their bedroom because his girlfriend phoned her and told her that she was HIV positive.

“Your Worship, honestly, how can I go on to share a room with him after his ‘sphatheleni’ girlfriend has told me that? He left home last year in December and only returned two weeks ago after I sent him the summons” she said.

Zvisinei added that she does not want Patrick to use their car because “his girlfriend parks it in the city centre the whole day doing business while my children would be walking to school.”

The magistrate granted the protection order and ordered the couple to live peacefully.

“As for the car, you should come up with terms and agree on how to share it. Zvisinei you are free to sue your husband’s girlfriend for adultery,” magistrate Mashavakure said.