Obsession or Hatred? Harare Woman Says Boyfriend’s Brother Is Crossing the Line
A Harare woman has been granted a protection order against her boyfriend’s brother, whom she accuses of being emotionally obsessed with her and turning her relationship into a nightmare.
The case was heard at the Harare Civil Court, where Blessing Mungofa said Dairai Kanoyangwa, her partner’s elder brother had repeatedly harassed her, insulted her, and tried to force her out of their family home.
Appearing before magistrate Ashton Dube, Mungofa said the situation had become unbearable and emotionally draining.
“I deserve love without being terrorised. I need peace, and I want him to leave me alone,” she told the court.
She said her relationship with Tapiwa, Kanoyangwa’s younger brother, had been peaceful until her visits to their home started triggering hostility.
According to Mungofa, Dairai would shout at her, accuse her of wrongdoing, and demand that she leave — even though her boyfriend welcomed her.
“I have been embarrassed in public, threatened, and repeatedly accused of things I have not done,” she said.
What disturbed her most, she told the court, was not just the verbal abuse, it was the motive behind it.
“At first, I thought he just did not like me.
But the way he watches me, the way he reacts when I speak to his brother, it did not feel like ordinary dislike. It felt personal.
she continued “That is when I started to wonder, maybe he is in love with me.
“Because how can someone fight so hard to stop two people from being together unless there is another emotion guiding him?”
Kanoyangwa denied the allegations and accused Mungofa of being dishonest and disrespectful.
“This woman is a liar. Whenever she comes to our home, she does not behave like a visitor,” he said.
He claimed Mungofa was taking advantage of his blind mother and stealing from the household.
“Food goes missing, small items disappear, and each time she leaves, we discover something is gone.
“l do not insult her for no reason. I am protecting my mother and the home.”
Mungofa rejected the accusations.
“I would never do such a thing. I respected his mother. I helped her with all the chores.
“For him to accuse me of stealing from a blind woman is cruel,” she said.
The court ruled in Mungofa’s favor and issued a warning to Kanoyangwa to stop harassing her.
Magistrate Dube reminded him that her presence in the home was at the invitation of his younger brother, and he had no right to interfere or intimidate her.
The ruling highlights how emotional tension within families can escalate into legal disputes and how courts are stepping in to protect individuals from harassment, even when it comes from inside the same household.
