adminLethokuhle Moyo Court Reporter
AN unemployed Cowdray Park man yesterday dragged his wife to the Maintenance Court demanding $85 per month for his upkeep. David Mundembe told the court that he is married to Irene Mundembe, who is employed as an agriculture extension officer in the Ministry of Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development, but the couple was on separation. He said his estranged wife was now living with another man at their family house in Esigodini.
The number of children the couple has together was not mentioned, but Irene lives with them as well as their grandchildren.
Mundembe told magistrate Sheunesu Matova, who is expected to rule on the matter on Friday, that his wife, who earns $400 a month does not co-operate with him, whenever he asks for anything.
“Your worship, I am unemployed at the moment and I am not getting adequate support from my wife.
“We are on separation and we are both staying on our own. I survive through piece jobs because I have no other income and sometimes I have to go to Esigodini to ask for money from her,” Mundembe said.
He said Irene makes false promises whenever he asks for something.
“I lost my job in 2005 after I had a misunderstanding with my employer. I went to South Africa in 2007 and came back last year in April because things were not rosy.
“She is staying at our house with another man and is earning $80 rentals from the house but I have never benefited anything from that house,” he said.
Irene told the magistrate that she was shocked that her husband dragged her to court when she has been financially supporting him.
“Your worship, this came as a shock to me because I have been supporting my husband with money and groceries.
“I got married to this man in 1990 without my parent’s knowledge or consent and until today they don’t know that I am married to him. My twin brother was the only witness to our marriage. My parents think we only married each other culturally.
She added that “culturally”, Mundembe was no longer her husband but only her children’s father as he left her 20 years ago.
“This man left me in 1994. He went to my parents and told them that he was no longer interested in me and ever since that day my parents stopped considering him as their son-in-law. He went on and married another woman and they have a son together,” she said.
“He never told me exactly why he left his job but that is when all troubles began. When he wanted us to get back together again I told him to go and negotiate with my parents but he never did that.”
Online Reporter