A woman has sought legal protection from her husband, accusing him of threatening to burn down their cabin whenever she refuses his demands for intimacy, including during her menstrual cycle.
The Zimbabwean woman, Grater Nyambizi told the court she lives in constant fear of her husband, Trust Chinyanga, whom she believes might act on his threats in a moment of rage.
“I am terrified by his actions. Every time I deny him s3x, he pours fuel around our cabin, threatening to burn it down with me inside. He even wants me to have s3x with him when I am on my periods, yet I am not comfortable with it,” Nyambizi said.
She also alleged that Chinyanga often accuses her of infidelity and has attacked her with bricks when she returns home late from work. “He accuses me of having extramarital affairs and attacks me with bricks each time I come home late from work,” she claimed.
In his defence, Chinyanga admitted that issues around intimacy were a source of conflict in their marriage but argued that the real problem was Nyambizi’s attitude toward him.
“She denies me my conjugal rights, and I only engage in sex with her once a month. The reason why we end up fighting is that she claims to have more money than me and spends more time at work than with me. I expect her to be home around 1 pm every day. What’s more important than our marriage?” Chinyanga said.
Presiding Magistrate Meenal Naratom expressed concern over Chinyanga’s behaviour, particularly his insistence on intimacy during Nyambizi’s menstrual cycle. “Why would you force your wife to be intimate with you when she feels uncomfortable?” the magistrate asked.
In her ruling, Magistrate Naratom granted Nyambizi a protection order and advised the couple to seek marriage counselling.