By Staff Reporter
A violent and reckless campaign to force his ex-wife into reconciliation culminated in a three-year and four-month jail sentence for Sadam Rutsvara (36) after pushing his ex-wife Tichayeva Mutusva into the path of an oncoming vehicle.
Delivering the sentence on Monday August 25, Masvingo magistrate Elizabeth Hanzi described the act as a potentially fatal escalation of his domestic abuse.
The Magistrate emphasized that his actions were not only reckless but a severe violation of a court order intended to protect the victim.
The incident, which occurred on August 7, 2025, near Chikato Police Station, was the final act in a two-day spree of violence triggered solely by Mutusva’s refusal to resume their relationship.
The state led by prosecutor Munyaradzi Mavhondo prosecute alleged that the chain of events began on August 6, when Rutsvara first violated an existing peace order by appearing at Mutusva’s residence.
The court heard that he had given her US$25 to help him find a room to rent. When Mutusva returned the money after failing to secure accommodation, a drunken Rutsvara reacted with extreme violence.
He subjected her to a torrent of vulgar insults, doused her in alcohol, and then physically assaulted her, grabbing her by the neck and landing two punches.
In a frantic attempt to escape, Mutusva fled the scene. Enraged, Rutsvara picked up a brick and hurled it at her.
The projectile missed its intended target but struck the couple’s minor daughter, who was present, injuring the child’s wrist.
Later that same day, the pursuit continued at Jazire Business Center in Victoria Ranch, where Rutsvara accosted Mutusva again, snatching her handbag and stealing US$27 and R80, which she reported to Vashandi Police Base.
The following day, the confrontations reached their terrifying climax. Upon encountering Mutusva near Don Bosco Primary School in Mucheke, Rutsvara issued a direct death threat.
When she once again firmly rejected his pleas to reconcile, he physically shoved her into the path of an oncoming vehicle—a moment that could have ended in tragedy.
In her ruling, Magistrate Hanzie stated that the defendant’s complete disregard for the law and for the victim’s safety warranted a sterner punishment.
The sentence serves as a stark reminder of the grave dangers of coercive control and the lethal potential of domestic violence when a survivor stands firm in their decision to leave.
