Enia Hunda, a 72-year-old widow, is fighting for her right to stay in her matrimonial home after her stepsons tried to evict her following their father’s death.
Hunda married her late husband in 2012 and lived with him in the house until he passed away in 2015. She said she was shocked to receive an eviction notice from her stepsons’ lawyers in December 2023, ordering her to vacate the property by January 2024.
The notice claimed that Hunda was not entitled to the house because she was not included in her husband’s will, which appointed one of his sons as the executor and owner of the estate.
Hunda challenged the eviction in court and argued that she, as the legally married wife of the deceased, had the right to inherit the house as his surviving spouse.
Based on a report by Newsday Zimbabwe, she also accused her stepsons of harassing and intimidating her, saying they wanted to get rid of her because they did not accept her as their father’s wife.
“They never liked me from the day I married their father. They always treated me like an outsider and a gold-digger and just want to take everything from me then leave me homeless,” she said.
Hunda’s case is one of many examples of how widows in Zimbabwe face discrimination and abuse from their in-laws, who often try to disinherit them and deprive them of their property and dignity.
According to a 2019 report by Human Rights Watch, Zimbabwean laws and customs do not adequately protect widows from property grabbing and other violations of their rights.
The report said that widows often face legal obstacles, social stigma, and violence when they try to claim their inheritance or challenge unfair practices.
It also noted that widows are particularly vulnerable to poverty, homelessness, and HIV infection, as they lose their source of income, shelter, and health care after their husbands’ death.
The report recommended that the Zimbabwean government should reform its laws and policies to ensure equal and fair treatment of widows, and provide them with access to justice, social services, and economic opportunities.
The Harare Civil Court magistrate Tamara Chibindi granted Hunda a protection order against her stepsons, ordering them to stop harassing her and to maintain peace with her.
She also advised them to follow the legal procedures to resolve their dispute over the property, and to respect Hunda’s rights as a widow.
The court’s decision relieved Hunda, but she remained worried about her future.
“I don’t know what will happen to me if they manage to evict me. I have nowhere else to go. This is the only home I have. I hope the court will uphold my right to stay here and live in peace,” she said.
