In a dramatic and highly unconventional case that has captivated the Harare Civil Court, a polyandrous woman from Warren Park has taken one of her three husbands to court, accusing him of neglecting his responsibilities and disrupting the peace in their multi-partner household.
Ms. Makanya, who has openly embraced a polyandrous lifestyle — where one woman is married to multiple men — stood before the court to air her grievances against Mr. Mapfumo, the father of one of her children. She claimed he had failed to support the child or contribute meaningfully to their household, despite agreeing to the terms of their unique family structure.
“My husband is failing to provide as a man, and when I ask him, he then becomes violent,” polyandrous woman said in court. “We have one child together, and he does not even pay school fees. He expects me to do his duties.”
polyandrous woman stressed that her polyandrous marriage was not a secret or a source of confusion within the family. All three husbands, including Mapfumo, were aware of and had consented to the arrangement. What she could not tolerate, she told the magistrate, was one husband shirking his responsibilities while creating conflict with the others.
“He agreed to this marriage. I cannot ask my other husbands to take care of his child while he is alive,” she said. “Instead, he insults me and even follows me to work to embarrass me, telling people I’m a thief.”
The situation escalated further when Mr. Mapfumo allegedly accused her of stealing goods from her workplace, publicly stating that the missing items were at his home. Makanya insisted these accusations were baseless and had seriously harmed her professional reputation and dignity.
Mr. Mapfumo, however, painted a very different picture of life in the polyandrous household. In a defensive and fiery testimony, he accused polyandrous woman of being the actual aggressor, claiming that he was emotionally and physically abused under her roof.
“She assaulted me in public, called me useless and irresponsible,” he told the court. “I’m treated like a servant in that house. One day she threw my belongings out — things I bought myself!”
Polyandrous Woman Sues One Husband for Irresponsibility and Abuse in Landmark Domestic Case
He acknowledged that he lived in a polyandrous setup but insisted that he had been fulfilling his role as a father, though perhaps not always in the ways polyandrous woman demanded. He accused her of trying to dominate him financially and emotionally, despite having other partners who could also contribute to the family’s needs.
“Makanya likes men too much,” he added, bluntly. “She cannot expect me to provide for everything alone.”
Despite the tense exchange, Mr. Mapfumo said he was not entirely opposed to reconciliation. He expressed willingness to pursue counselling, though he remained adamant in denying any allegations of abuse.
“I have never raised my hand at her,” he said. “She is trying to twist the situation to make me look bad just because I stood up to her.”
The magistrate has reserved judgment, stating that a ruling on the matter would be made later in the week. Meanwhile, the case has triggered widespread debate both in the courtroom and across Zimbabwean society.
The public response to the case has been intense, with many expressing surprise at the open practice of polyandry in Zimbabwe — a cultural arrangement far more common in some Asian and African communities, but rarely acknowledged publicly in Zimbabwean courts. Others have used the case as a starting point to discuss gender roles, legal rights in unconventional unions, and the need for updated family law frameworks that reflect the complexities of modern relationships.
“This case isn’t just about one woman and one man,” said a legal analyst outside the courtroom. “It’s about how society, culture, and the legal system respond when traditional gender expectations are flipped. A polyandrous woman challenging a husband for neglect turns the usual narrative on its head.”
As Zimbabwe’s courts increasingly deal with modern and non-traditional family dynamics, the Makanya-Mapfumo dispute may very well become a landmark case — not just for its sensational details, but for what it reveals about changing societal norms and the legal gaps surrounding them.
Source- ZimEye
