‘I love you Soko’: Councillor’s wife faints and nearly dies after finding lula lula messages in her husband’s phone

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A Mutasa community court last week delivered a unique judgement, sentencing three villagers to mould a combined 30,000 bricks for allegedly defaming their local ward councillor, Allen Mutume. The bricks are destined for a new school construction project in the area.

The case unfolded when Juliet Nyamhuka, also known as Mai Kadzere (Junior), was brought before Chief Mutasa for placing a red cloth inscribed with the names of four villagers at a crossroads. Nyamhuka admitted to the act, explaining that she aimed to “soften” those accusing her of an affair with Councillor Mutume.

This revelation prompted the court to adjourn, allowing Councillor Mutume to respond to the adultery allegations. A new layer of complexity emerged when Mai Mutume, the councillor’s wife, denied ever sharing information about her husband’s alleged infidelity, despite claims that she had discovered steamy text messages between her husband and Nyamhuka.

The court heard conflicting accounts regarding the source of the rumours. Mai Kadzere (Senior), whose husband is Nyamhuka’s brother-in-law, testified that Mai Mutume had confided in her, detailing the discovery of explicit messages on her husband’s phone.

She described a message from Nyamhuka which read: “I love you Soko”. Mai Kadzere (Senior) further alleged that Mai Mutume had initially been distraught, even fainting, upon discovering the messages, but later backed down from pursuing the matter after Mutume threatened divorce.

“She told me how she fainted and nearly died after discovering explicit love messages in her husband’s phone. She said Nyamhuka would visit her homestead as a friend, teaching her about projects, assisting her with her projects, and they are also members of the Mukando savings group.

“She further told me that while they were in Mutare with her husband, selling their produce, she got hold of her husband’s mobile phone, and came across a message from Nyamhuka to Mutume, which read: ‘I love you Soko’,” Mai Kadzere (Senior) recounted.

She also claimed Mai Mutume had described the messages as “extremely explicit and intimate,” adding that Nyamhuka had assisted in dressing wounds on Mutume’s father’s head. She also alleged that Nyamhuka and Mutume had jointly purchased a car in Mutare.

Tapiwa Kadzere, brother of Mai Kadzere (Senior)’s husband, corroborated this account, stating that his sister-in-law had shared the allegations with him, citing Mai Mutume as her source. Another villager, Stanley Kuwenyu, also implicated Mai Mutume as the source of the gossip, a claim echoed by Sylvia Nyapanza.

Nyapanza revealed that Nyamhuka had sought help from her traditional healer husband after the messages were discovered. Nyamhuka, however, vehemently denied the affair, attributing Nyapanza’s allegations to a long-standing feud stemming from their Mukando savings group.

She claimed Nyapanza owed the group money and was using the allegations to avoid repayment. Nyamhuka also highlighted a conflict within the group, stating that she was appointed supervisor despite Nyapanza’s resistance, leading to further animosity.

Councillor Mutume denied the affair, dismissing the allegations as fabrications intended to damage his reputation. He challenged specific details presented by Mai Kadzere (Senior), including the nature and cost of the car purchase and the claim that his father had suffered head wounds.

In his ruling, Chief Mutasa addressed the defamation, stating: “We want to end gossiping. People who destroy neighbours’ marriages while theirs are blossoming should be named and shamed. We are in the middle of the rainy season, and people must be busy working in the fields, not spreading gossips. They have failed to prove beyond any reasonable doubt that Mutume and Nyamhuka were in love,” he ruled.

He then sentenced each of the three accused – Mai Kadzere (Junior), Stanley Kuwenyu, and Sylvia Nyapanza – to mould 10,000 bricks for the local school, a punishment requested by Councillor Mutume himself. For inscribing the names on the cloth, Nyamhuka was also ordered to pay each villager a goat. The case highlights the complexities of rumour, relationship dynamics, and community justice within rural Zimbabwe.


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