Bishop, ex-wife in house wrangle

A BISHOP with Apostles of Zimbabwe Church is at loggerheads with his former wife whom he is attempting to evict from their matrimonial house following a High Court ruling which granted his application for divorce last year. The cleric now wants his ex out of the Hob-house which he now intends to sell. Bishop Moses Mutowo (67) has since sought an eviction order to chuck out Emilia Kagurabadza from the house.

Kagurabadza (42), who is also claiming a stake from the house, has vowed to stay put and is now seeking a court interdict to bar her former husband from evicting her.

Her argument is that the High Court ordered the two to equally share the proceeds from the sale of the house.

Bishop Mutowo had made an application at the High Court claiming 65 percent of the proceeds from the sale of the house, but Judge Justice Loice Matanda-Moyo ruled that they share equally.

"We have been married for 20 years but we separated some 17 years ago after he moved out. He filed for divorce at High Court and it was granted last year in March.

"I was surprised to be handed some eviction papers for me to leave this house so that he could sell the house. This is despite the fact that the court ruled that we share the estate on a 50-50 basis," she said.

Kagurabadza said the eviction papers she received require her to move out of the house on Monday. She said the man of cloth has been paying $30 towards the upkeep of their children since they separated and revealed that she has been sustaining her family through rentals from the house which Bishop Mutowo is intending to sell.

Justice Matanda-Moyo in her judgment made in March 2018, said, "The plaintiff moved out of the house sometime in 2003 during which period he was not looking after the family. The defendant single handedly raised the family from 2003 until 2009 when she sought an order of maintenance from the magistrate court. Such conduct by plaintiff is deplorable. The plaintiff was selfish and cruel.

"The plaintiff had an obligation to maintain defendant and the children but abrogated all responsibilities to the defendant. With all that the defendant went through and considering all the circumstances of this case, including that the defendant was married at the tender age of 16 — it is only fair that the parties share 50-50 the value of the house".

She added that there have no where to stay since she was evicted.

Efforts to get a comment from Bishop Mutowo were fruitless at the time of going to Press.