Online Reporter
Lovemore Kadzura
Mutare Bureau
A FEUDING couple shocked a community court when the husband and wife, who wanted to get an order of how they could share their property, ended up saying they still LOVE each other.
The case had been brought to Chief Makoni’s community court.
Chief Makoni asked Nilbert Chapwanya and Rebecca Macheka if their divorce had gone through since that was the first thing which should happen before the court could entertain their application to share property.
That was when the whole script changed.
“I still love my wife,” said Chapwanya.
Rebecca also told the same court:
“I still love him.”
The two have been married for two years.
They work for the same diamond mining firm. The couple’s public show of love for each other, at the end of the court hearing, was in contrast to the sharp divisions which had characterised their testimonies.
Chapwanya has accused his estranged wife of secretly ‘amassing wealth’ and empowering herself behind his back.
He also claimed that she was in a habit of “wearing trousers” at a local growth point, contrary to his religious beliefs.
“Rebecca has been doing a lot of things behind my back. We raised money together to build a shop but she later refused to contribute. I was shocked to learn that she now has her own shop. She also acquired a driver’s licence without my knowledge.
“My mother met her at Nedziwa Growth Point wearing a pair of trousers, yet we are members of an apostolic church. She went away with all household property from our lodgings in Rusape and Nedziwa, and left me with nothing,” said Chapwanya.
Rebecca then shot back, accusing her husband of lying in court.
“He is the one who is not cooperative. I want the property we acquired together shared,” she said.
Chief Makoni was left with no option, but to dismiss the case of sharing of the property, saying it can only be done in circumstances where parties are divorced.
“We can only handle a sharing of property cases where there is proof of divorce. Each party was given an opportunity to divorce, but declined, which means the relationship is still subsisting. We cannot force people to divorce.
“For divorce to happen, one party must hand over a token of divorce to the other. In this case it was not done. In the case of the outstanding bride price, Lameck can still make a follow-up with Chapwanya,” ruled Chief Makoni.
