Zimbabwe – woman attacked her daughter-in-law with a wooden log accusing her of being cheap after she had eloped to her son.

Reports indicate that yesterday Judith Mazhandu was not asked to plead when she appeared before a Harare court charged with physical abuse.

The matter was remanded to May 26 for a possible trial date.

It is alleged that Mazhandu attacked her daughter-in-law Shyline Ruwona after her son Tashinga Mazhandu indicated that he had ended things with her and wanted her gone.

Her son Tashinga is also facing another charge for deprivation after he allegedly refused to let his ex-wife access some of her belongings.

He has also been asked to return on May 26 where the State intends to separate the record and provide Tashinga with a possible trial date.

According to the State, sometime in March the Mazhandus and Ruwona’s family convened a meeting after the young couple had a misunderstanding.

 On March 20th I was called by my father-in-law to attend to a meeting at his house in Westgate where I was staying with my husband since I had eloped to him in December 2020.

“On arrival I was told to pack my things and go back to my parents’ house in Waterfalls and immediately packed some of my possessions into my bags,” reads part of Ruwona’s statement.

During the process, Ruwona asked her ex-husband Tashinga to return a jacket he had taken without her consent.

He reportedly refused to give it back before shouting at her using obscenities.

It is alleged that the couple agreed to end their marriage in front of both families before Ruwona immediately started packing her bags.

During the process, Ruwona alleges that Tashinga refused to give her some of her clothes thereby depriving her of what’s truly hers before another misunderstanding ensued.

Further allegations are that, noticing the misunderstanding, Tashinga’s mother (Judith) who was standing outside armed herself with a wooden log and hit Ruwona at the back of her head.

The State further alleges that Ruwona fell down unconscious and was later rushed to a nearby hospital where she remained unconscious for days before she was referred to Parirenyatwa.

She was later examined and a medical affidavit will be presented in court.