South African man Luzuko Lincorn “Feleba” Funani, former head coach of the Worcester Spurs Football Club (WSFC) is allegedly fingered in a Gender-Based Violence (GBV) against his girlfriend Penelope “Penny” Chadambura. Last week, a series of screenshots went viral on social media, depicting the heinous assault Chadambura and her mother endured at the hands of Funani.
In an exclusive interview with Zimbabwe Reports, Chadambura described her relationship with Funani as 1-year of “living hell” clouded by fear and agony. “He used to heat me up every month after drinking and using drugs. If he beats me, he will lock the door, and if I try to escape, he will continue to beat me to a pulp to guarantee I do not get out to report him” reflected Chadambura.
What was supposed to be a harmonious family dinner to mark the New Year between the Funani and Chadambura families, turned out to be an evening of terror and erebus for the Chadamburas. “On the way back to our place that night, he started beating me in the car and the driver had to stop the car and drove us back to his family in Matsila, where he almost killed us in front of his family” she claimed.
The 32-year Zimbabwean beauty therapist suffered significant body injuries as a result of Funani’s brutal behaviour, while her mother suffered three head wounds and a few hand wounds while attempting to defend her daughter against the monster (Funani). “When he did all this, his family did nothing to stop him, even when he took out a knife from the kitchen cupboard to stab me. If it had not been for my mother, I would have dead now unfortunately” she explained.
The former Spurs striker and head coach was arrested last week on Monday following his cruel and barbaric violent actions, and he is currently held at the Robertson Prison under strict supervision. Funani is expected to make his debut appearance on the 17th of January at the Worcester Magistrate Court. “We are truly grateful to Warrant Officer Mavata for her sterling work to ensure Zuko gets arrested, and we (as the family) get all the necessary assistance we can get to overcome this ordeal” said Penny’s sister.
In a community meeting convened yesterday to craft a way forward on a scourge of GBVF, a significant number of community structures and residents resolved to submit a petition to the court to deny Funani bail, citing him as a threat not only to his girlfriend and her family, but to the community at large. The application for petition will be submitted under Section 12 of the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005. It reads as follows:
“We as the community members of Zwelethemba in Worcester, we want to plea that the following male perpetrator Luzuko Lincoln Funani, who has assaulted his woman. We the community do not feel safe at all with him amongst us, please do not grant him any bail as this is not his first attempt to beat up a woman. We have had enough of GBV, we no longer want such perpetrators as they are killing us as women, and we have had enough of saying JUSTICE for so and so whilst the person is dead. Please if we see him in our Worcester, as the residents we will take the law into our hands”.
