IN a sad love story, a woman from Bulawayo abandoned her husband of 20 years after he suffered a stroke and allegedly eloped to her married lover who also reportedly dumped his wife to accommodate her.

Idah Dimba allegedly dumped her husband Mike Ngwenya (47) after he suffered a stroke and took off with her married lover, Brighton Mlilwana, who also reportedly ditched his wife Silethemba Moyo.

Narrating his ordeal to B-Metro, a heartbroken Ngwenya from Njube suburb said Idah eloped to her lover on 25 August leaving him behind with his daughter. It seems Idah had perfected the art of eloping without her husband’s knowledge.

Ngwenya said before Idah left home, she had lied to him that she wanted to accompany her aunt to their rural home.

“When she left I thought she had accompanied her aunt to the rural areas as she had told me earlier on. I was shocked when I heard some people telling me that Idah had been spotted around Njube suburb where she was now staying with Mlilwana,” said Ngwenya.

Sharing further details he said before Idah deserted him they were always having disputes as she was in the habit of bringing her lover home and was allegedly sleeping with him in his presence.

‘‘Our marriage had problems like everyone else’s but Idah took it too far by inviting her lover to our matrimonial home. It seems like she has been seeing this man she is now staying with for a while.

“She was always bringing him home and they were sleeping together in my presence and she has been doing that a couple of times. After I complained that is when she threatened to leave saying she was no longer feeling comfortable staying with me.

“Ever since she left, she called me once saying she was coming to collect her clothes and she hasn’t yet come to collect them,” narrated Ngwenya.

According to a source privy to the drama, Idah did not only destroy her marriage but Silethemba’s after she eloped with the latter’s husband.

 An embittered Silethemba had no kind words for Idah whom she labelled a “home-wrecker”.

“Before we separated, my husband had told me that there is a woman that he needs to take as his second wife.

“Sometime in August when I returned from South Africa where I had visited a relative I was shocked when I came back and found him with Idah in the house and she had already changed the curtains. Out of frustration I left the house to stay with my sister as I felt that it was difficult for two women married to the same man to stay together under one roof,” said Silethemba.

When reached for comment, a fuming Idah refused to entertain questions from this publication. She even threatened this reporter with an unspecified action.

Mlilwana also declined comment saying he was not happy with the way he was approached. B Metro