A man in Zimbabwe is battling for life in hospital after he consumed poison at his ex wife’s house after he was denied access to his children.

Witnesses to the incident which occurred Monday last week said Mr Promise Mariba, a prominent legal advisor in the asbestos mining town visited her ex-wife, Angeline Phiri intending to have access to their two kids but was denied access.

A heated exchange of words erupted with the in-laws demanding lobola first before releasing the kids.

Mr Mariba then threatened to commit suicide by hanging himself at the gate of their house in Maglass but they did not take him serious as they dismissed his threats, said a witness who requested not to be named.

The witness said Mr Mariba briefly left the house but later returned with some rat poison in his hands.

He then told them that he was drinking poison if they did not release the kids but the ex-wife could not budge, said the witnesses.

Mr Mariba was later rushed to the hospital by a neighbour after he consumed the poison in front of his ex-wife and in-laws.

Mr Mariba confirmed the incident when he was contacted for a comment yesterday, saying he was now recuperating from home after being discharged from the hospital.

“But I am ok now . . . they were refusing to release my kids, so there was no reason for me to live after spending a couple of months without seeing my own kids.

“I did not want to take them for good, I only wanted to have access to my kids for the weekend but they have been refusing so I had to take that decision (drinking poison),” he said.

Mr Mariba who is now a bachelor after three failed marriages.

He recalled the events of the day in question when he visited all his ex-wives requesting temporary access to his kids.

“The other two released the kids but this other one was adamant. I wanted to have my kids for a while and go to church with them for a prayer but she were conniving with her parent to deny me access to my own kids, so I went to buy some rat poison which I then consumed in front of them in protest,” he said.

Mr Mariba said he was thankful to the health personnel who attended to him.

“I over-reacted but thank God I am alive and I also managed to have temporary access to my kids. They are however, now back with their mother,” he said