Michael Manenji, a resident of Entumbane suburb, found himself in a distressing predicament that many men silently endure: @buse from a former partner.
Fearful of societal judgment and the stigma of not being “man enough,” many men opt to suffer in silence. However, Manenji chose a different path, summoning the courage to seek legal protection against his ex-lover, Tendai Takesure.
The two share a child, and Manenji’s attempts to maintain a relationship with his offspring have been met with hostility. Each visit to Takesure’s home escalates into a confrontation, with Takesure sending him a barrage of insulting WhatsApp messages. Despite the verbal @buse, Manenji’s determination to be a part of his child’s life never wavered.
The situation took a more dangerous turn last week. Manenji recounted to the court that during one visit, Takesure’s thre@ts intensified. She menaced him with chilling messages, declaring her intention to gouge out his eyes and kill him. This escalation left Manenji in a state of perpetual fear.
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The climax of this harrowing experience occurred when Manenji was leaving Takesure’s home. She confronted him, brandishing a stone and thre@tening to smash his head. Terrified for his life, Manenji sped away, his heart pounding with the realization that these thre@ts were not empty.
In his affidavit, Manenji detailed the relentless abuse and the recent terrifying encounter. “I am the applicant in this matter, while Tendai Takesure is my ex-lover. We share a child together. Whenever I go to her home to visit my child, she insults me and sends me a string of messages via WhatsApp. Last week, she threatened to pluck out my eyes and k!ll me. While I was leaving her home, she rushed at me with a stone, thre@tening to smash my head. I had to speed off. I’m now living in fear,” he stated.
The Bulawayo magistrate, Beverly Madzikatire, took Manenji’s pleas seriously. A protection order was granted, commanding Takesure to cease her verbal assaults and maintain peaceful interactions with Manenji. The court’s decision offered a glimmer of hope and security to Manenji, who can now focus on building a relationship with his child without the looming thre@t of vi0lence.
