Tuesday, February 25, 2025 - A Valentine’s Day gift led to a violent altercation in Harare after a man, Tinashe Chiyangwa, physically assaulted his mother-in-law, Elita Mpofu, accusing her of promoting infidelity.
The incident, which took place on February 14, has since escalated
into a legal battle, with Elita seeking justice at the Harare Civil Court.
According to Elita, the confrontation began when Tinashe arrived at her
home in a fit of rage, yelling and accusing his wife of infidelity after she
received a gift from another man. She explained that when she tried to
intervene and calm the situation, Tinashe became even more aggressive
“He pushed me to the ground and started assaulting me. He accused me of
encouraging my daughter to engage in promiscuous behaviour. Despite my
daughter’s attempts to explain that the gift was merely a friendly gesture, he
refused to listen.”
Elita sustained a leg injury from the attack and has been left
traumatized. Seeking legal recourse, she took the matter to court.
When allowed to respond, Tinashe admitted to losing his temper but
defended his actions, claiming frustration over the situation.
“I was angry because my mother-in-law allowed another man to give my
wife a romantic gift on Valentine’s Day. She knows that I paid lobola (bride
price) for her daughter, yet she permits other men to approach her.”
While he acknowledged that his actions were wrong, Tinashe emphasized
that his anger stemmed from a sense of betrayal and disrespect.
“I know what I did was wrong. I failed to control my emotions.”
Presiding over the case, Magistrate Meenal Naratom condemned Tinashe’s actions,
stressing the importance of maintaining peace within families.
“Violence is never the answer, regardless of the circumstances. Your
actions were unjustifiable and have caused harm to your mother-in-law.” The
magistrate granted Elita a peace order, legally prohibiting Tinashe from
harassing or approaching her.
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