Horror hits lovers’ triangle

MASOYI – Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned and when it is two women scorned, there is hell to pay.

This was clearly the case when what was supposed to be an introduction between a mother, her daughter and future son-in-law turned into a heated brawl resulting in the assault of the prospective son-in-law.

According to Ms Thoko Selekane (25), she had invited her mother, Ms Martha Mashiloane over to her house to formally meet her boyfriend, only to find out that the same man had been her mother’s Ben 10 for a year and half.

“I’m struggling to erase the shock I saw on my mother’s face from my mind. It was terrible when she realised that she’d been sharing a man with her own flesh and blood for so long. I still feel like it was a dream, I don’t want to believe it,” she sobbed.

Selekane told Mpumalanga News that she and her boyfriend had been in love for a year and half as well and she never suspected any infidelity from his side. She then thought the time was right to introduce him to her mother.

“I was flabbergasted when my mother started hitting my boyfriend after I told her he was the man who was intending to marry me. She then told me that he had been seeing her as well and I joined her. We beat him up until he ran away,” she explained.

The 50-year-old mother was still fuming when this publication contacted her.

“I feel dirty and disgusted right now and I just want to wake up from this dream. That man cheated on my daughter, with me! I hate myself!” she angrily said.

The boyfriend, who was hospitalised and treated for minor injuries and a broken arm after the beating, pleaded with the publication not to reveal his identity.

“I’m not a pervert, I just did not know the relationship between the women.

I’m not justifying the fact that I cheated, but I couldn’t help the attraction when I unknowingly met my girlfriend’s mother. I feel so embarrassed about the whole matter and I hope both women can find it in their hearts to forgive me for this mess,” he said adding that he won’t be pressing any assault charges as he understands the women’s fury.

The humiliated mother said they would not let the whole incident go just like that but would perform a cleansing ritual to rid them of bad luck.

“Morally and culturally, it’s an insult for a mother and her blood child to have sexual relations with one man and I don’t want my daughter to be shadowed by curses. Embarrassingly as it is, elders will have to be consulted so they can see what proper measures must be taken,” she said.

Ironically, both mother and daughter live in a village called Dingindoda which means “need a man”. The village earns its name from the rife behaviour of single women who own houses and do all they can to lure men who eventually stay with them, whether they are married or not.

“It’s survival of the fittest. Men are hard to find and here, once you get one, you hold onto him in every possible way,” said one of the residents adding that the whole incident was not much of a shock to the community.

“We witness a lot of cat fights with women hailing from other villages who come all the way to claim their men back. We’ve seen daughters fighting with their mothers for stepfathers who ended up falling in love with the stepdaughters.

In this case it’s quiet unfortunate that both women were innocent,” she further said.

Mpumalanga News spoke to a local traditionalist, Mr Bhekifa Nkosi who expressed disgust about the incident.

He stated that a cleansing ceremony was urgent and that the concerned man should also be part of it lest he be surrounded by curses.

“Generally, once a man falls in love with a woman, her children become his as well and in this case this young man slept with his daughter. It might not be incest in the eyes of the law, but culturally it’s taboo,” Nkosi exclaimed.

Asked if he would be available for the ritual, the man in question said he would think about it, adding that as having to face both women together again would be a nightmare he wished to avoid.

“I just want this whole drama to go away. Had I known that this matter would get us this far, I would have stayed away from both of them,” he further said.

Gogo Thobeka Lukhele of the Traditional Healers Association also echoed Nkosi’s suggestion to perform a ritual as soon as possible.

“If they wait too long, there’s going to be serious consequences as this is a grave matter that involves individual spirits. Sexual issues are not just physical, but also spiritual,” she said.