Alleged abuse victim, wife of a traditional leader,opens up
A reliable witness told Lowvelder Express how the wife came to his place in the middle of the night, seeking shelter. She was only wearing a bra with no top and no shoes.
A case of assault has been opened at the White River Police Station against a prominent traditional leader of one of the rural areas outside town. He is accused of physically abusing his 30-year-old wife.
The woman was put in a place of safety. She claimed she has been physically abused by her royal husband for years without any help from the Masoyi Police Station near her house.
She alleged that the Masoyi police would advise her to go and talk to her husband and resolve their issues. “I tried to open cases of assault against him at Masoyi before, but instead of protecting me, the police advised I go back and speak to my husband in a traditional manner to resolve our differences. There was a time I went to the police station bleeding after having been attacked by him, but the police didn’t help.”
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The woman was allegedly assaulted on Saturday and had part of her braids pulled off during the altercation. “I had been away from home for some days due to our differences, and he called me last Tuesday and said if I was not home on the very same day, I shouldn’t bother coming back. I only came on Saturday with the hope that he had calmed down.
“Unfortunately, he started to insult me and called me names in front of our children. I asked him not to insult me in front of them. I went to our bedroom where he followed me and started to beat me up. He accused me of having extramarital relationships and ended up pulling me by my braids, saying he did not know where I had got all the money for plaiting and doing my nails, since he hadn’t given me any money.” According to the woman, the physical and emotional abuse started around 2018, just a few years after their traditional wedding.
She said she used to blame herself thinking that their long-distance relationship was the cause of their marriage problems. “I was forced to resign from my work as a professional mine surveyor so I could be closer to my husband, but that turned into a nightmare. I now regret that decision.”
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The woman added that she had tried to leave her marriage several times, but the elders interfered, calling family meetings and talking to them.
“He would apologise and promise not to lay a hand on me, but he would start afresh, assaulting and insulting me after a month or so. In May, I was ready to leave him, but he begged and sweet-talked me to believe his lies. I am hurting inside and I am not proud that my children don’t know where I have been for almost three days now.”
Details of the case could not be confirmed with White River Police Station on Tuesday morning. The provincial police spokesperson, Brig Leonard Hlathi, confirmed, however, that a case of assault had been opened at White River Police Station and would be transferred to Masoyi Police Station for further investigation. No arrests have yet been made.
