Man drags stepmother to court over abuse

Spiwe SarakunzeHerald ReporterIn a dramatic court case in Harare, Mr Clinton Tavengwa has accused his stepmother, Pertunia James, of physical abuse, harassment and attempts to forcibly remove him from his late father’s estate.Mr Tavengwa detailed a history of alleged abuse.“She no longer regarded me as part of the family. It started with insults and threats,” he said.“Then she began physically assaulting me and sometimes sending her children to attack me.”Mr Tavengwa claimed that Ms James’s hostile behaviour escalated following his father’s funeral.He believes he is entitled to his father’s property as the biological son.“My father never said I should leave; now that he is gone, she wants me out so she can take over everything,” said Mr Tavengwa.He also expressed concern that Ms James has turned his younger step-siblings against him, creating a toxic home environment.In response, James refuted all allegations, accusing Mr Tavengwa of being the instigator of family unrest.“He insults me in front of the children, bullies them, and acts like he owns everything,” she said.Ms James claimed her attempts to mediate the situation through family members were thwarted when Mr Tavengwa sought police intervention instead.She described her children as living in fear of Mr Tavengwa, whom she characterised as controlling and aggressive.“I never laid a hand on him. All I wanted was for the family elders to talk to him because we were all struggling to live with his behaviour,” she said, emphasising her role as a widow trying to raise her children.Magistrate Ms Johanna Mukwesha presided over the case, warning both parties against further conflict or violence.She issued a reciprocal order to prevent either party from violating the court’s directives.Share on FacebookPost on XFollow usSave

Originally published on Zimbabwe Herald

Source: Zimbabwe Herald

.