Adultery fallout: Bulawayo woman sued for $100,000 in damages

Gibson Mhaka

A  Bulawayo woman is being sued for US$100 000 after allegedly having an adulterous affair.

Sanele Moyo from Emganwini suburb came to realise that engaging in sexual relations with a married man has negative consequences after Emelda Dube filed summons at the Bulawayo Civil Court seeking adultery damages from her.

Dube said she decided to take legal action against Moyo after her husband deserted her to stay with the latter. Dube married Lawrence Dube in 1993 in terms of the Marriages Act Chapter 5:11 and the marriage still subsists. While the marriages still subsisted, it is alleged that Moyo and Lawrence had an adulterous affair.

“The claim is for the payment of $10 000 being in respect of damages for adultery, contumelia and loss of consortium suffered by the plaintiff (Emelda) as a result of the defendant (Sanele)’s illicit and adulterous affair with the plaintiff’s husband.

“Defendant has been fully aware of that fact but has been involved in a shameful adulterous relationship with plaintiff’s husband. The marriage was blessed with three children and was very rosy until the defendant started having an adulterous affair with the plaintiff’s husband,” reads the claim in part.

According to the plaintiff’s declaration, Moyo has even been shameless to the extent of going to cohabit with her husband.

“Sometime in December 2023, the plaintiff’s husband ran away from his matrimonial home to stay with the defendant”.

Emelda, according to the papers, suffered a huge blow as a result of the adulterous affair and her marriage is also on the verge of collapse.

“Plaintiff has suffered great emotional trauma, heartbreak, and mental distress as a result of her husband leaving her. This shameful behaviour has continued regardless of the defendant’s knowledge of the marriage existing between the plaintiff and her husband. Owing to the illicit and adulterous relationship, plaintiff suffered damages as follows, $5 0000 for contumelia and $5 000 for loss of consortium”.

Moyo is yet to respond to the US$10 000 claim.