VICE-PRESIDENT Kembo Mohadi, who is being sued for US$13
394 post-divorce maintenance by his former wife, Tambudzani Bhudagi Muleya, has
accused her of playing games with the court and attempting to embarrass him.
The matter is set to be heard today by High Court judge
Justice Ester Muremba. Mohadi and Tambudzani’s marriage was dissolved last year
and just after the nullification, Tambudzani petitioned the court seeking
maintenance.
Tambudzani argues that while she was staying with Mohadi
before their marriage irrevocably broke down, the couple purchased various
business entities which were now being controlled by the VP and she was now
surviving on a meagre allowance from her position as senator.
But in his response to the application Mohadi, said
Tambudzani was a woman of means and was simply trying to play games with the
court.
“The applicant (Tambudzani) is not entitled to maintenance
post-divorce as she has no dependants to support. All children born out of the
marriage relationship between the applicant and respondent (Mohadi) are adults.
Applicant has no rentals to pay as she was awarded two houses when the marriage
was dissolved which she is leasing and realises about US$1 000 per month from
rentals,” Mohadi said.
“The consent paper signed by the applicant and the
respondent shows that the applicant has other several properties of a
substantial value and over 400 herd of cattle. She is not poor as she purports
to be in the proceedings and is not in need of any maintenance.”
The VP further said an examination of Tambudzani’s requirements
for maintenance as laid out in her founding affidavit does not give the
impression that she was struggling and needed money for her upkeep.
“It boggles the mind why the applicant would want US$1 834
per month for holidays and what she calls church trips. This simply shows that
the applicant is playing games with this honourable court. She is simply not
serious. The applicant merely filed the present application to embarrass and
harass the respondent,” he said adding that no justification has been given by
Tambudzani for items listed on the purported schedule of expenses.
In her application, Tambudzani insisted that it was just
and equitable for her to be awarded the sum of $13 394 as maintenance, an
amount that would enable her to enjoy and maintain a standard of living
reasonably comparable to the standard of living she used to enjoy while living
with Mohadi.
But the VP dismissed her line of argument, saying it seems
as if Tambudzani was alleging that he was obliged to maintain her after
divorce, on the basis of the marriage vows that he made.
“It is common cause that for over 19 years she has been
fending for herself without any support from the respondent. During that period
she did not deem it fit to approach the courts for assistance. It is clear that
she has been able to sustain herself and she can continue.
“She did not apply for maintenance because she was able to
sustain herself and is still able to sustain herself,” Mohadi said. Newsday
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