TWENTY-two couples had their marriages terminated the High Court yesterday after they cited irreconcilable differences for the divorces.
BY CHARLES LAITON
Justice Erica Ndewere presided over the divorce cases which were annulled by consent from both parties.
According to the High Court’s divorce roll, 36 couples were set to have their marriage certificates cancelled, but 14 had their matters deferred to next Thursday to allow the parties to put their court papers in order.
The remaining cases were deferred over technicalities such as access to children and maintenance issues.
Among the divorcing couples was Tendai Concilia Gava (nee Wenyika), who terminated her marriage to Zanu PF Mhondoro-Ngezi MP Mike Gava accusing him of infidelity.
The couple had a blissful wedding ceremony on October 13, 2012 which was attended by top government officials and South African opposition politician Julius Malema.
According to Tendai, the MP’s sexual escapades with other women, had led to the couple losing love and affection for each other.
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“The marriage has irretrievably broken down due to the following reasons, the parties have lost love and affection for each other, the defendant (Gava) has been having adulterous relationships with women unknown to the plaintiff and the parties have been leaving separately since April 2014,” Tendai said in her affidavit.
“The plaintiff (Tendai) was left with no option other than to institute divorce proceedings and defendant was served with the summons and declaration by the Sheriff for Zimbabwe on June 12, 2015.
“The parties have agreed that indeed the marriage in question has irretrievably broken down and entered into an agreement recorded as a consent paper.”
The parties, however, agreed that Gava would be paying $200 every month for the upkeep of their minor child.
Meanwhile, women’s rights groups expressed mixed views over an upsurge in divorce cases with some citing economic factors as major drivers
Female Prisoners Support Trust director Rita Nyamupinga said divorce was the best option for people in an abusive marriage.
“With a lot of violence between couples it is recommended they divorce because staying in an abusive relationship results in people losing their lives,” she said.
“The other factor that has contributed to these divorces is our economy which forces partners to stay in long distance love.
“You find a husband staying and working in Mutare when the wife is in Bulawayo, in the end, the two tend to lose faith against one another and begin to accuse each other of infidelity, so as a result parties end up quarrelling and the end result is divorce.”
