Mbabane – A 39-year-old married woman, Hlobsile Shiba, of Nkhaba has been arrested and charged for allegedly assaulting her husband, Robert Dlamini.
Shiba was charged under the Section 77(1)(a) of the Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence (SODV) Act of 2018 after she was accused of grabbing her husband by the clothes and hitting him with a piece of concrete rubble on his left arm.
Court documents revealed that the couple’s marriage has been unstable, with both parties trading accusations of abuse and neglect.
Dlamini told the court that his wife repeatedly assaulted him. In one incident he said she threw a camp chair at him and in another used a sjambok to assault him.
He alleged that she also once threw a cup at him during a heated argument.
Dlamini said they have since been sleeping in separate bedrooms for almost two years because of the ongoing conflict.
But Shiba denied being a violent person. She said she is the one who is often usually assaulted.
She said her husband once beat her with open hands until a cup fell from her hand and broke.
She also explained that she had tried to call the police but received no response and later opened a case after waking up experiencing pain in her hand.
Shiba said her husband has neglected his homecare responsibilities.
Dlamini said he still financially contributes at home although without stable employment from any piece job he could find. He also accused his wife of having an affair with a Venda boyfriend. He said she once sold a phone to someone who later showed him private photos of his wife after she forgot to clear her gallery.
Shiba denies these allegations. She said she is starting vending and sells clothes and oils to support herself and the household.
The court, seeing the tension, issued a protection order. The order prohibited the couple from assaulting, insulting, or swearing at each other.
They were also advised to seek counselling to learn how to live peacefully under one roof, as their relationship has been described as volatile.
The matter was postponed to 14 November 2025 for continuation. Shiba is out of custody.
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