A CHIMANIMANI woman escaped death by a whisker after she was allegedly axed by her former husband when she sought refuge at his house during the Cyclone Idai disaster, a Chipinge court heard yesterday.
BY RICHARD MUPONDE
This came to light when the former hubby, Pilato Mandimandi of Ngangu township in Chimanimani appeared before Chipinge magistrate, Joshua Nembaware.
He pleaded not guilty to violating the Domestic Violence Act and was remanded out of custody to Monday for continuation of trial.
Cyclone Idai hit Manicaland in mid March and Ngangu township was the hardest hit with the whole location, police station and a prison washed away except for as few houses.
Prosecutor, Sesekedzai Mayera told the court that the complainant, Patience Tiengani and her two children she sired with Mandimandi were some of the victims of the floods.
Their house was completely destroyed in the landslides induced flooding leaving them with nowhere to go.
They were part of the people rescued and taken to Cyclone Idai victims’ camps where they lived until April 1.
On the day of the Cyclone Idai-induced floods, Tiengani and her two children decided to go and seek refuge at her former husband’s house which had survived the disaster.
They arrived at around 7pm and knocked at his door seeking refuge.
However, Mandimandi denied her entrance into the house, but she insisted that she should be given a place to put up with the children since her house was destroyed by the Cyclone.
A misunderstanding arose between the pair which later degenerated into a scuffle.
He then started assaulting his ex-wife with fists and booted feet all over the body chasing her away from his home together with his children.
He later picked up an axe and struck her once on the shoulder. She was saved by neighbours and a report was made to the police, leading to his arrest.
