BY CHARLES LAITON
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.”
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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.
