A couples’ marriage is on the rocks as the wife yesterday approached the courts seeking a protection order against her husband who is assaulting her for refusing to go to the same church as him.

The couple, Eustina Muderedzwa and Garikayi Musikazwi, used to worship together at African Apostolic Church before the husband decided to move to the Johane Marange apostolic church.

Magistrate Ms Tamara Chibindi of Harare Civil Court granted the desired order to Ms Muderedzwa and ordered Musikanzwi not to assault, insult or threaten her.

Ms Muderedzwa told the court how she was being abused by her husband for differing with him about religion.

“He left Mwazha church in 2017 where we have been members for many years and we wedded there,” she said. “He has been forcing me and the children to join him at Marange, but we refused and now he is threatening to evict me from our rural homestead and our other house in Whitecliff.”

Ms Muderedzwa said she knows no peace and is always being insulted by her husband.

“It has been three years since he last visited us at our rural home, but he recently came and assaulted me with a rope, saying that I am not a submissive wife and I should leave the house,” she said.

Musikazwi denied the allegations arguing that he has never assaulted his wife of 23 years because he loves her very much.

“I never assaulted her she is lying, in fact she was the one who was trying to pull my private organ and accidentally fell where the kitchen was,” he said. “I love my wife and we have five children together. I only want her to listen to me as her husband and join me at my new church.”

Musikazwi said his wife was badly influencing their children to be defiant towards him and married off their 12 year old daughter without his consent. Ms Muderedzwa said the child was at home and only ran away when Musikazwi came because he always assaulted the children for refusing to go with him to his church.-state media