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Tendai Gukutikwa
Weekender Reporter
A NYANGA woman who used her husband’s name to borrow money used the funds to desert him and now the man has to pay back the money.
Luckmore Mugomba said he only found out about the loan when the lender, Jessica Saunyama, approached him demanding her money back.
Appearing before Acting Chief Saunyama’s court recently, Jessica said the amount owed has increased from US$20 to US$404 due to the interest that accrued over the years.
However, Mugomba said he is not the one who borrowed the money and therefore Jessica cannot expect him to clear the debt.
He advised Jessica to hunt for his ex-wife since she entered into an agreement with her.
The whereabouts of Mugomba’s ex-wife are unknown.
“I am not the one who borrowed the money. It was my ex-wife who borrowed that money and used it to flee from me.
“I honestly do not understand why I should be made to pay that debt.
“I never benefited from that money. In fact, that money destroyed my marriage because my wife used it to flee from me.
“Had she not been given that money, she would not have found any other means to leave me,” he said.
“I do not care if my ex-wife borrowed the money in my name. I was not there when they were doing that transaction.
“I was in Mutare for six months and when I came back, she had left. She left a lot of debts in my name. Why should I be made to pay her debts?” he asked.
Asked why he had promised to settle the debt, Mugomba said he acknowledged it as a way of dismissing the persistent Jessica.
“This woman is very persistent, but I do not have the money. I do not want to make empty promises when I will settle the debt. Even if I had the money, I would not settle a debt which I have no knowledge of,” he said.
However, Jessica insisted that Mugomba sent his ex-wife to borrow money from her on the pretext that he had found a job in Mutare and wanted the money for bus fare.
“We were a money lending group and I was the one in charge of the money. Mugomba and his wife were not members, but when she approached me, she told me that her husband was stranded and wanted to borrow some money. She said he would return it after getting his salary. I agreed and helped them with US$20.
“After that, I did not hear from both of them for months as they had left for Mutare.
It came as news to me that his wife had deserted him and used that money to flee.
“That, however, should not be my cross to carry because they borrowed the money as a family.
“I took other people’s money without their consent, just to help them since they were my neighbours. They should pay up with all the interest accrued to date,” she said.
Jessica said because of the incident, her former club members lost trust in her, resulting in them kicking her out of the group.
In his ruling, Acting Chief Saunyama instructed Mugomba to pay $200 to Jessica.
The court found that Mugomba was aware that his ex-wife had borrowed the money.
“I have been very lenient with you and ordered you to pay half the amount you owe these women.
“Make haste and pay it back before it starts accruing more interest,” ruled Acting Chief Saunyama.
Online Reporter