ZIMBABWE – Andrew Chabata from KweKwe is a devastated man after his wife Petronella Ruzwidzo Bungu allegedly ditched him because he was jobless and broke.

Chabata claimed Bungu divorced him due to her status as a breadwinner.

He made the startling claims at the Bulawayo Civil Court where his ex-wife had dragged him seeking a protection order against him claiming he was verbally and emotionally abusing her.

Bungu told the court that her ex-husband was also stalking her and threatening to go to her workplace and cause a scene as a way of embarrassing her.

“I want a protection order against my ex-husband. He is harassing me through text messages, phone calls and unannounced visits at my place. Last year he physically abused me and I want the court to grant me a protection order so that he stops harassing me,” begged Bungu.

She also claimed her ex-husband was also disturbing her peace by constantly phoning and sending messages to her mother.

In response, Chabata stated that his ex-wife’s application for a restraining order was just a plot to get him out of her life for good since he was not employed.

“Though I am not opposed to her application, the accusations she stated in the application are not true. I can, however, confirm that some time we exchanged harsh words because of her infidelity.

“The issue at hand is that I am not employed and I am not able to provide for her. She is now the breadwinner and I am now a liability to her hence the reason why she wants me out of her life,” responded Chabata.

His response didn’t go down well with Bungu who claimed that when Chabata married her, he didn’t tell her that he was married.

“We got married in 2016 and it was after he lied to me that he was divorced. When I found out that he had a wife, he told me that the wife was given to him by the elders. I tried to stay in that polygamous marriage but I failed to do because of his abuse.

“He put me under a lot of pressure and during that time I was at school and pregnant. He also didn’t want me to work yet he did not have enough money to look after me.

When I gave birth, he neglected me together with the child and I had to go back to my mother’s house. He once lied that he was in Afghanistan yet he was in Kwekwe enjoying with his first wife,” she narrated.

She said her ex-husband started accusing her of infidelity after she got a job.

“He started accusing me of cheating after I got a job in Government. When I terminated the relationship, he was not taking care of me and the child. He has also been abusing me. We never had peace in our marriage.

“He once found me a place to stay in Montrose and he was now bragging saying I was from the ghetto and I was now enjoying the luxury of staying in the low-density suburb. He would also not allow me to talk to men,” said Bhungu.

In her ruling presiding magistrate Nomasiko Ndlovu ordered Chabata not to verbally and physically harass his ex-wife in any way. B Metro