Danisa Masuku
A man from Matsheumhlope suburb in Bulawayo has approached the Bulawayo civil court after his daughter evicted him from his own home.
The elderly man, Misheck Philips, stated that his daughter, Priscilla Johnson, does not respect him. Philips claimed that his daughter invaded his privacy by entering his bedroom and removing all of his clothes.
โPriscilla disrespects me and displays unruly behaviour towards me. While I was in Inyathi, she entered my bedroom and removed all my clothes, placing them in a spare bedroom. In my understanding, it is taboo for a daughter to enter her fatherโs bedroom,โ he told the court.
He added: โWhen I returned from my rural homestead, I was shocked to find my bedroom locked. Upon checking, I found my clothes placed on top of the table in the spare bedroom. When I inquired about her actions, she hurled insults at me and evicted me from my house.โ
Johnson stated that he now faces accommodation woes, as he must stay with relatives whenever he comes to town.
โNow, when I come from my rural home, I face accommodation problems. I end up staying at my relativesโ places. One of my children was amputated last year, and I was unable to visit her due to her unruly behaviour,โ he said.
However, Johnson denied the allegations levelled against her, stating: โMy father relocated to our rural home five years ago. When he visits us at our family house and finds things rearranged, he shouts at me without asking for an explanation. I have tried on several occasions to talk to him, but he does not want to listen to me. I donโt know why he hates me. I think the solution to this is for me to move out with my children.โ
The presiding magistrate, Challenge Mahembe, granted Philips a protection order. The order bars Johnson from verbally and emotionally abusing her father.