08/09/2026
: A Harare woman has been granted a five-year protection order against her husband following a bitter domestic dispute that erupted after he returned home from South Africa, where he had spent 17 years. According to a report published by The Herald on September 8, 2026, Ruth Zvauya appeared before the Harare Civil Court seeking protection from her husband, Obert Musayi, whom she accused of making her life difficult since his return.
Zvauya told the court that Musayi had allegedly been pressuring her to be intimate with him before they underwent sexually transmitted infection (STI) tests. She claimed that whenever she refused, he allegedly threatened to chase her from their home.
She reportedly told the court that she was concerned about contracting an STI following her husband’s lengthy stay in South Africa and wanted both of them to undergo testing before resuming intimacy. She also accused him of throwing her belongings outside the house during disagreements and interfering with household arrangements she had established during his absence.
The woman further alleged that her husband took some of her food supplies, sold chickens without her consent and damaged her wheelbarrow. However, Musayi denied the allegations, maintaining that he had never forced his wife to be intimate with him.
He reportedly told the court that the couple had experienced disagreements over intimacy even before his departure for South Africa. On the issue of STI and HIV testing, Musayi said his wife had known his HIV status since 2007, when they were tested together.
He also disputed the allegation concerning the wheelbarrow, saying he had used it to transport stones and bricks while constructing a toilet at their home. Musayi reportedly explained that there had been no toilet at the homestead when he returned and that he had undertaken the construction to improve their living conditions.
After hearing the matter, Magistrate Johanna Mukwesha granted Zvauya a protection order that will remain in force for five years. The order bars Musayi from sexually harassing or insulting his wife and from chasing her from their home.
Credit : The Herald