A WOMAN has dragged her husband to court seeking to end their marriage of 23 years, saying her hubby often insults her saying her breasts sag like those of a dog.
Muriel Mkandla, 44, from Esiphezini Village, sought to divorce Jealousy Ziki of Phenduka village in Zhombe as she narrated a tale of habitual abuse by her husband.
Mkandla said Ziki was so stingy he had never bought her anything, not even underwear in more than two decades of marriage.
She told the court that Ziki always insulted her saying members of her family were “lazy goats” who do nothing but spend the whole day drinking beer.
Mkandla said she was afraid of Ziki because he had tried to stab her with a spear on three occasions.
She told magistrate Victor Mpofu she could not repeat the other insults Ziki “regularly showered” her with as she was too embarrassed.
Mkandla and Ziki have four children.
“Your Worship, since 2008, this man has put me through hell. He usually takes the money that I and my children get from our harvest sales claiming that he wants to open a tuck-shop but has never done anything,” she said.
“He tells me he will marry a new wife and I will leave his homestead with nothing.”
Mkandla said Ziki chased her from the matrimonial home recently, at around 1AM and forced their children to sleep outside.
“It was very cold that day. I was hurt to discover that one child slept next door and the other one slept in the fields,” she said.
Mkandla said Ziki’s girlfriend, identified as MaZulu, phoned her saying she should tell Ziki to stop bothering her because she is a married woman.
“It’s not like I’m insulting him, but he has never even bought me anything, not even underwear. As we speak, I left our home with nothing. I left my maize and other crops at the farm. He told me that he would hire people to harvest everything that me and my children worked for.”
Ziki denied the allegations and told the court that he loves Mkandla very much.
“She suspects that I have another wife and children. I still love my wife and it’s just a misunderstanding like in any relationship. I’ve never abused her and I’ve always been supportive,” he said.
Mkandla said: “Your Worship, ever since I left the homestead he has never bothered to come after me. He only came three days ago with his family when I had sent him summons. It shows he doesn’t care about us.”
Magistrate Mpofu granted the dissolution.