· As family disowns Steven
BY WATIPASO MZUNGU JNR
The supposed family of Steven Monjeza and residents of Machinjiri Township in Blantyre are in a celebratory mood following the arrest of a gay couple on Monday.
Police in Blantyre arrested Tiwonge Chimbalanga [whose real name is Stoneck Kachepa] and Steven Monjeza [whose real name is Steven Soko] a day after the two held their engagement at Mankhoma Lodge.
The engagement has since attracted mixed reactions from the public.
An aunt to Steven, Zione Monjeza, disclosed in an interview from her home at Kameza that Steven’s real surname is Soko and that his father was from Molipa in Machinga.
She disclosed that the family was embarrassed and that it would not want to see Steven again because apart from being gay, which has brought the family into disrepute and shame; the nephew is a thief that has been giving Machinjiri residents sleepless nights.
Monjeza explained that the arrest of Monjeza has brought more joy to Machinjiri residents than sorrow because Steven “is one of the criminals terrorising the township with theft of crop produce”.
“People can now be assured of harvesting their crops without interference. Steven has been a source of worry to residents around this area because of his criminal acts,” said Monjeza.
His uncle, N’chiteni Monjeza, said Steven has been a trouble-maker right from his childhood.
He explained that Steven have been in and out of police cells several times for various crimes.
“We are suspecting that he took after his father who was also a dangerous criminal. He eventually died in prison,” said N’chiteni.
Asked why they did not attend their nephew’s engagement ceremony, both the uncle and aunt said they could not allow to discredit themselves by gracing a gay marriage.
N’chiteni and Zione Monjeza confirmed that Steven wrote them letters inviting to attend his engagement ceremony, which was initially slated for December 16, but was shifted to 26 because Monjeza’s mother died on this day.
Apart from inviting them to grace the occasion, the groom asked N’chiteni to appoint marriage counsellors, which the Monjeza family did not do because some people had told them the bride was a man.
“When we turned his invitation down, Steven came drunk and shouted profanities at us names. He challenged that he would find some people to be his counsellors if we’re not willing to support.
“But we did not bow down because we had information that the bride was a man,” said N’chiteni Monjeza further explaining that prior to their big day, the bride and the groom, had been visiting Monjeza family where Soko introduced Kachepa as his prospective wife.
According to the Monjezas, the gay couple had been living together as husband and wife for the past six months and that the engagement was meant to regularize their marriage.
Steven, the groom, is said to have introduced Stoneck to his family, but family members failed to suspect ‘Tiwonge’s’ gender because he used to cover his head with a piece of cloth (chilundu) thereby preventing family members seeing his bald-head.
This is contrary to what the suspect told this reporter earlier. Steven said since he dated he never lived with Tiwonge let alone having his carnal knowledge.
“What surprised us was that the bride was looking exactly like a man; no breasts and bearded. Only thing left wondering though; the bride behaves like a woman and carries out all female duties,” they said.
When the Monjezas lost their mother [a grandmother to Steven] on December 16 last year, the couple went to attend the funeral where ‘Tiwonge’ helped women in preparing food. He even slept with women at night when it started raining.
“She has no match when it comes to cooking,” said Zione Monjeza a complement shared by ‘Tiwonge’s’ former employer, Mrs. Vaida Kalua.
The following day, the Steven’s ‘wife’ accompanied women to a mortuary to collect the dead body of the late granny.
The Monjezas said they feel embarrassed with what their nephew had done [declaring his interest to marry fellow man].
“People look at us as irresponsible and disorganized lot following this scandal. We are very embarrassed,” said N’chiteni.
But in an interview at Blantyre Police where the two are being kept while awaiting court trial, the groom claimed ‘Tiwonge’ cheated him into engagement by not telling him he was a man.
“He never told me he’s a fellow man. Actually, I have learnt that Tiwonge is not even his real name; ali ndi dzina lina ada awa,” he said.
Asked why he still went ahead with the engagement after realizing that he dated a man, Steven said he did not want to disappoint his sweetheart because “she had already bought everything for the ceremony including bridal wears”.
Relatives to the gay couple said their sons had no record of having fallen in love affair with a girl let alone being speculated about by rumourmongers. But Steven told this reporter that he ever fell in love with a girl who he dumped to marry Tiwonge.
END
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