Two men fight over pregnant girl (16) who dished out ‘bota’ as an experiment

Harare – A love triangle involving a 16-year-old pregnant girl, her 24-year-old husband, and a 41-year-old former lover has descended into a bitter dispute, leaving the young woman caught in a web of betrayal and fear. The case highlights the complexities of teenage pregnancy, the abuse of power, and the enduring impact of traditional beliefs in a modern world.

The teenager, whose name we have withheld to protect her identity, is now at the centre of a legal battle, with her former lover, Brian Mukando aged 24, demanding the arrest of the teenager’s husband, James Tomerai aged 41, for “abusing the pregnant teenager.”

Mukando claims he also wanted to marry the girl and intends to take care of both her and the child she is carrying.

The dispute has its roots in a complex relationship that began last year. Mukando, who was a tenant at the teenager’s family home, developed a relationship with her. He claims he paid for one term of her school fees, a fact he uses to justify his claim to her hand in marriage.

The teenager, however, paints a different picture, alleging that Mukando threatened to bewitch her and withheld her birth certificate, claiming he needed to consult a sangoma in Chipinge to ensure she wouldn’t marry anyone else. She claims she nearly took her own life due to the fear and pressure he exerted.

“Brian has been a thorn in my flesh since last year,” she told H-Metro. “I nearly took my life when he took my birth certificate claiming that he was to visit Chipinge and consult a sangoma so that I won’t get married to another man besides him. It affected me, up to this day, since he is still withholding my birth certificate.”

She further alleges that Mukando’s intentions were far from honourable. “I knew that he wanted to rape me, and I refused,” she said. “I later decided to give in to my lover’s sexual demands to test if Brian’s claims of bewitching me was true.”

The teenager’s decision to test Mukando’s claims ultimately led to her pregnancy and subsequent marriage to James Tomerai. She claims she eloped with him to escape the pressure and threats from Mukando.

“Akangobvisa tsvakirai kuno kuvabereki vangu,” she said, expressing her desire to live peacefully and pursue her education.

The teenager’s mother, who received lobola from James, confirms the young couple’s marriage and expresses her own fear of Mukando. “We are living in fear of Brian who took my daughter’s birth certificate to a sangoma,” she said. “He has been sending threatening audio messages after learning about my daughter’s recent marriage.”

Mukando, however, maintains his claim to the teenager, insisting that he wants to protect her from abuse. “I have her birth certificate as well as receipts of her school fees which I paid,” he said. “Her mother, together with her father’s younger brother, gave such a young, beautiful and intelligent girl into marriage. She has since stopped going to school and she is living with a man.”

He argues that the teenager’s marriage to James is an abuse of her youth and innocence, and he demands that James be arrested. “Ndirikurwadziwa nazvo nekuti mwana aigona iyeyu saka ndinoda kuti akapanhumbu mwana uyu asungwe uye ini ndinosara zvangu ndichichengeta mwana uyu nemimba nemwana achazvarwa. Ini handina mwana saka ndivo vana vangu ivavo, ngaasungwe murume arikugara nemwana uyu,” he said.

The case has sparked a heated debate about the age of consent in Zimbabwe, which was recently raised to 18. While the law is clear on the matter, the complexities of the situation, including the teenager’s own agency and the role of traditional beliefs, make it a difficult one to navigate.