Memory Rasa
MPANDAWANA – A Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA) officer, who serves in the elite Presidential Guard in Harare, was last week taken to court for allegedly assaulting his wife, mother in-law and father in-law after discovering that they had been keeping his wife’s HIV positive status a secret.
Nyasha Nzara is being charged for assaulting his wife, his father in law Mudzurwa Matare and his wife, malicious damage to property worth more than US$300 as well as making death threats to the family.
Appearing before Gutu magistrate Edwin Marecha, Nzara pleaded guilty to malicious damage to property but denied the assault charge saying the complainants fought him back therefore he had acted in self-defence.
It is the State’s case that on August 25, 2016, Nzara got furious after he discovered ARV tablets in his matrimonial house.
He then broke windows and doors of Matare’s shop at Bhasera business centre and went on to destroy stock.
The court heard that Nzara chased his in-laws with a screw driver, threatening to kill them after severely assaulting his pregnant wife.
Nzara first appeared in court on August 26 and came back on September 14 and was acquitted of the threats charge.
“I am the victim here. I don’t see the reason why these people reported me for assault. They have destroyed my life and they should be ashamed of themselves. They accepted my lobola knowing very well that their daughter was a carrier. She was secretly collecting her medication in Bhasera and keeping them at her father’s house.
“I am really hurt that I wasted my life and my future with a liar. I had hopes and dreams of living my life with a family, but not this. She even fell pregnant by me knowing very well that she was HIV positive. They have really tortured me. I threw stones and fought because I was devastated. After all, I did not assault them but we fought,” Nzara told the court.
Nzara had visited his wife in Bhasera but was shocked after stumbling upon ARVs in the house after almost two years of marriage to his wife.
Magistrate Marecha granted him US$100 bail and put the matter on defence trial to October 11, 2016.
Agatha Gabriel prosecuted.news
