A Zimbabwean woman, Grater Nyambizi, has taken legal action against her husband, Trust Chinyanga, accusing him of threatening to set their cabin on fire whenever she refuses his demands for intimacy, even during her menstrual cycle.
Nyambizi told the court that she lives in constant fear due to her husband’s threats, believing he might act out in anger. “I am terrified by his actions. Whenever I refuse his demands, he pours fuel around our cabin, threatening to burn it down with me inside. He insists on having sex even when I’m on my period, which makes me very uncomfortable,” she stated.
She further alleged that Chinyanga often accuses her of infidelity and has physically assaulted her with bricks when she returns home late from work. “He accuses me of cheating and attacks me whenever I come home late,” she claimed.
In response, Chinyanga admitted that intimacy issues had caused tension in their marriage but claimed the real problem was Nyambizi’s attitude toward him. “She denies me my conjugal rights, and we only have sex once a month. We argue because she claims she earns more money and prioritizes work over our marriage. I expect her home by 1 p.m. daily. What’s more important than our marriage?” he argued.
Presiding Magistrate Meenal Naratom expressed concern over Chinyanga’s behavior, questioning his insistence on intimacy when Nyambizi clearly felt uncomfortable. “Why would you force your wife to be intimate when she’s not comfortable?” the magistrate asked.
In the ruling, Magistrate Naratom granted Nyambizi a protection order and recommended that the couple seek marriage counseling.
