Man fights another over baby-mama, while pregnant girlfriend waits in the car
A 39-year old Zimbabwean man, Gilbert Gwangwana appeared before Maun customary court on Wednesday this week to answer for an assault common charge after he allegedly beat up his fellow Zimbabwean man and suspected love rival, Luckson Hlatywayo (46) over a Motswana woman, 29-year-old Taboka Chimbise.
Meanwhile the two men have other women in their lives. Gwangwana’s girl friend is pregnant with his child while Hlatywayo says he has children and a wife who is nursing a newborn child.
While Gwangwana maintains he is in an on-off and on again love relationship with Chimbise who is also his baby Mama, Hlatywayo has maintained he is only Chimbise’s work colleague and not her boyfriend.
In court Gwangwana was reported to have badly assaulted Hlatywayo on January 26th, 2023 at Chimbise’s place in Thito ward in Maun when he found them together in the middle of the night.
Gwangwana lost his cool and allegedly assaulted Hlatywayo while his pregnant girlfriend watched from the car.
Stating his case in court, Hlatyhwayo who appeared as a witness for the state in the matter says it all started when Chimbise called him that evening and requested for prepaid electricity recharge units.
“She said they did not have electricity and I told her I would go out and get money for that. We met at a tuckshop near our workplace because that is where I got the money, but since the tuckshop did not have any electricity I gave her P50 instead,” Hlatywayo explained.
He said he then gave Chimbise a ride home and upon arrival they found a car parked next to the gate. “I got inside the yard so I can make a u-turn and go back, but suddenly the car that was parked outside blocked the gate and Gwangwana came out of that car holding a woman’s shoe which he used to hit me before raining fists all over me. He then pulled me out of the car and slapped me. I managed to flee and he gave chase,”said Hlatywayo
He further explained that at the back of the house, Gwangwana continued to hit him. “I realised that his intention was to kill me so I pretended to have lost consciousness and he kept kicking me. He then left and said he was going to get a knife,and I got up and jumped over the fence, ran and hid behind a nearby tree.”
Gwangwana who was allegedly furious at the time is said to have gone into Hlatywayo’s car and started rushing forth and backwards with it for a few minutes and then got out and banged the door and proceeded to hit the car.”
Assessing the car afterwards, Hlatywayo said the car had a damaged ignition, car keys were missing and yet the engine was running, it had broken rear view mirror and corner lamp, his Samsung phone was missing and cash amounting to P1450 was also missing among other damages.
Meanwhile the woman at the centre of the dispute, Chimbise testified in court that indeed Gwangwana, who is her ex-boyfriend and father of her two children had attacked Hlatywayo.
“When the fight broke, I was carrying my youngest child in my hands so I asked my sister to lock herself with the child inside the house and I went out through the backyard gate. Twenty minutes later, my sister called to inform me that the men have left so I returned home,” Chimbise told court.
In fact Chimbise admitted that a day before the fight, Gwagwana had come around her house to pick her and their two children to buy them shoes. She said the man offered to buy her a pair as well and from there they went to spend a little time at his house as his car had cooling problems.
“When he dropped us off at home, it was dark, he could see that we did not have electricity, but he left without buying it for us,” explained Chimbise who said she then contacted Hlatywayo to assist.
The two however did not tell court whether or not they were a couple but that they met at their workplace.
Asked outside court, Hlatywayo denied the alleged love affair and said they were only good friends. “She is a very good friend of mine and she tells me everything including the physical abuse she sustains from this man.”
Nevertheless, Gwangwana stuck by his allegations that the two were seeing each other behind his back and that at some point he even cautioned Hlatywayo against dating his baby mama.
“I told him to stop seeing the mother of my children and he promised he will stop so what was he doing at her house at night?” Quizzed Gwangwana.
However, Gwangwana was stopped from narrating his side of the story as his turn will come after state witnesses finish their narrations.
The case was postponed to Friday this week due to absence of other witnesses including investigating officer in the matter.
Outside court, Gwangwana explained that he was not just Chimbise’s ex but she was rather someone that he was having an on and off affair with.
“Two weeks ago we did what a husband and wife would do when they are together, two times on February 11th, at my house and in the bush. We left the children with the maid so we can have a good time,” Gwangwana alleged further accusing the woman of often calling him and asking him to come over. She often calls and says if you are free, may you kindly come over? That is our relationship,” explained Gwangwana
He further noted that coming to her house that evening, he had wanted to confront Chimbise over damaged shoes belonging to his new girlfriend that Chimbise allegedly tore in a jealous rage when she visited his house recently.