THE Member of Parliament for Mberengwa North, Cde Tafanana
Zhou, is challenging a $30 000 lawsuit by a local woman accusing him of
breaching a promise to marry after allegedly breaking her virginity.
The Mberengwa woman, Ms Henrietta Tafadzwa Chauke (35), a
student nurse in Harare, through her lawyers Mugiya and Macharaga Law Chambers,
last week filed summons at the Bulawayo High Court under case number HC 980/19
citing Cde Zhou as a defendant.
She is demanding $30 000 from the politician for contumelia
arising from the alleged breach of promise to marry her. Ms Chauke said she
fell for the legislator in February last year after he had promised to marry
her.
Cde Zhou is however, challenging the summons and wants the
application to be dismissed, claiming the woman is a serial litigant who is
abusing court processes to humiliate him.
In papers before the court, the politician said she did not
know Ms Chauke and the allegations were trumped up charges.
Cde Zhou through his lawyer Mr Tawanda Tavengwa of Mutuso,
Taruvinga and Mhiribidi Legal Practitioners, filed an application for dismissal
of action at the Bulawayo High Court, citing Ms Chauke as a respondent.
“The respondent is not personally known to me and I have
never met her and what I know is that I received WhatsApp messages from a
person who alleged to be the respondent making sexual advances towards me. The
person went as far as introducing herself to me by sending me her pictures and
I did not respond,” he said.
“I submit that the respondent cannot prove at all that she
is known to me and that I had sexual intercourse with her.”
In papers before the court, Cde Zhou also attached WhatsApp
messages where Ms Chauke was allegedly pestering him for sex.
He further said the respondent raised similar allegations
against one Mr Simon Magidivana in 2014 demanding US$10 000 for contumelia.
“Most importantly, she alleges at the time she had sexual
intercourse with me she was a virgin and this cannot be true. I am advised by
my legal practitioner that on November 12, 2014 at Zvishavane magistrate court
and under case number 999/14, the respondent instituted a claim of seduction
against one Simon Magidivana of Zvishavane. In her particulars of claim, the
respondent alleged that she fell in love with Magidivana between August and
October in 2014 during which she was a virgin and they had sex,” he said.
Cde Zhou said Ms Chauke was abusing court processes,
arguing that the woman carries no genuine intention of seeking seduction
damages.
“It is my averment that the claim has no prospects of
success. It is frivolous and vexatious in nature and is designed to tarnish my
good name and social standing. I am a Member of Parliament and I am inclined to
believe that it is my opponents who have hatched a plan to bring my name into
disrepute. I aver that there are no issues in this matter as it is clear that
as per respondent’s allegations she lost her virginity sometime in 2014. The
claim by the respondent is not made with a bona fide intention of seeking
justice. Wherefore, I pray for an order dismissing with costs the summons filed
under HC980/19,” said Cde Zhou.
Ms Chauke, in her summons, said she fell in love with the
MP in February 2018 and three months later he orally made a promise to marry
her.
She said she had sexual intercourse with Cde Zhou which was
premised on prospects for an imminent marriage. At the time of the sexual
intercourse with Cde Zhou, Ms Chauke said she was a virgin.
The woman said Cde Zhou terminated their relationship in
February this year for no apparent reason, consequently violating his promise
to marry her.
She wants to be compensated for damages emanating from her
alleged former boyfriend’s actions. Chronicle
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