A Chibinge man regrets the day he slept with a married woman, as the two-day affair left him with a persistent, long-lasting erection that wouldn’t go away.
Robert Sithole has suffered from permanent erections since December 7 last year, and all efforts to correct the condition have been in vain.
According to online research, the disorder in which the male sexual organ maintains an erection for a long time in the absence of proper stimulation is called priapism.
The most common cause of priapism is a side effect of medications used to treat erectile dysfunction, injury to the reproductive organs or pelvis, and alcohol and drug abuse, among others.
The Weekender recently caught up with Sithole and he said his private member is excruciatingly sore.
Sithole regrets meeting Precious Dhliwayo, the woman he slept with. He said he was paying the penalty for his sins.
He revealed that he met Dhliwayo in Chipinge town and fell in love with her instantly.
“I met this woman along the Chibing-Mutare highway. I could not resist her beauty and I proposed to her. She never rejected my proposal.
“We exchanged numbers and the next day she came to my workplace at Chipinge Country Club. We became intimate and the next day she invited me to her house.
“We became intimate again. Unfortunately the condom tore and we continued the act. After that I felt excruciating pain in my genitals. I came home but the erection didn’t go away,” he said.
His brother Silas Sithole commented: “After sleeping with the woman, Robert found himself suffering from this mysterious and persistent problem.
“Desperate to find relief, Robert searched for possible solutions. He visited doctors, tried different medications, and even considered unconventional treatments, all to no avail.
“Nothing seems to be working for him. The constant discomfort and embarrassment are taking a toll on his life,” Silas said.
He added, “We called Rishis but she denied her marriage. She also denied being the source of Robert’s problems. We even went to Chiping City and met her.
After being interrogated, she admitted that she was married. She said she is sleeping with different men to raise money to support her family. But she said she slept with four different men, but nothing happened to them.
“The woman then offered to refer Robert to her grandmother, who works as a traditional healer, to reverse the curse,” Silas said.
Sithole said he paid US$2 for Ms Dhliwayo to sleep with him.
Despite all this, Sithole’s wife is fighting in her husband’s corner.
“I want to thank my wife for being there for me during these difficult times. We sold everything, including our livestock and other valuable assets, to solve my problem. We are now left with nothing, but my wife did not leave me.
“She works in other people’s fields to raise money for my treatment. I admit I wronged her but she forgave me. Whenever I cry, she cries too,” Sithole said.
“I suffer because I failed to resist the agent of destruction created by Satan. I have been faithful to my wife all these years, but I don’t know what made me fall in love with this other woman.
“I frequent various drinking outlets, but I have never fallen in love with women of the night. I am the architect of my predicament in broad daylight, and I regret ever setting my eyes on that woman. I have suffered a lot and I am quickly losing hope. I have taken the matter to the court of the village chief, Mwandika,” he said. We are now awaiting the hearing.”
When Dhliwayo was contacted for comment on Wednesday, she initially denied knowing Sithole, but later opened up and admitted that she had been intimate with him twice.
“Well, I know the guy you’re talking about. We’ve slept together twice, and I charged him for favors. He recently confronted me about what he’s going through, but my hands are clean.”
“We consulted a traditional healer along with his relatives and wife and it turned out that he was the ‘fixer’ and not me.
“I am married, but my husband neglects me and our child. He has another wife and rarely visits us.
“My husband is definitely not behind this because I have other friends besides Robert. I am in sex work because I want to put food on the table for me and my child,” Dhliwayo said.
She said she was ready to consult other traditional healers to prove her innocence.
“Robert should come out clean and not tarnish my image. I may end up losing my client because of his baseless allegations. Why is he the only one affected? None of my clients have ever complained of having a lasting erection after having sex with me.
“If I told my husband about the allegations made by Robert, all hell would break loose,” Dhliwayo said.
But she strongly refused to reveal her husband’s name.
Medical experts say priapism is a medical emergency and if not treated within 24 hours, it can lead to permanent damage to the male sexual organ. Manica Post
