HARARE - A Harare woman sought court protection after his husband discovered a text message in her mobile phone suspected to be from a boyfriend and tortured her using a water-boarding technique.

Waterboarding is a form of torture in which water is poured over the face of an immobilised captive causing the individual to experience the sensation of drowning.

This form of torture causes extreme pain, dry drowning, damage to lungs, brain damage from oxygen deprivation and lasting psychological damage as well as death.

Prevalence Mutoro, who lives in Budiriro, told the court that her husband is insecure resulting in him physically assaulting her in front of her children.

“He thinks I am having an affair and he becomes abusive. At times he pours water on my face trying to suffocate me. He screams at my youngest son, telling the two-year-old boy that he is not his biological father,” she said.

“He is so insecure. He beats me up all the time over things that are untrue. He drags me by my feet and he beats me to a pulp. I have complained to everyone in his family and they have tried to talk to him but he does not listen,” Mutoro said.

In response, Clive Makuto denied all allegations and said if Mutoro wanted a divorce she was free to say that.

“She is having an affair with this guy called Diva. I saw a text message in her phone.  She is lying about me beating her to a pulp.

All I do is ask and keep quiet. If she does not love me anymore she should just say so,” Makuto said.
A Harare Civil Court magistrate ordered Makuto to observe peace and was banned from verbally or physically abusing Mutoro. — Gugulethu Nyazema