Marriage breakdown: Woman absolves Pastor

A WOMAN who has been caught in the middle of a fight between a popular city pastor Anglistone Thembani Mthiyane Sibanda and Nketha Dlamini, who accuses the pastor of causing "tension and confusion" in his marriage, has said their marriage was annulled in October last year before she moved on with the man of the cloth.

The woman said she decided to set the record straight on her relationship with the two men in question after initial reports made her feel that her "ex-husband" was out to tarnish both her image and her lover's.

Sikhulile Ncube slammed the father of her two children, Nketha Dlamini who claimed Pastor Sibanda inappropriately associated with her during the subsistence of their customary marriage.

The customary union was blessed with two children aged five and seven years respectively and the two had been married from 2011.

Ncube said she was no longer married to Dlamini adding that she was now free to associate with anyone. She said they formally annulled their marriage in the presence of their families.

"Our families sat down on 28 October last year at my elder brother's place in Mahatshula who was representing my parents who are now old. Dlamini's delegation was made up of Manduna, Mrs Mzila and his brother Shepherd Mangoye.

"We agreed in front of our families that our relationship had failed to work because of various reasons I am not at liberty to reveal for the sake of our young children. All our problems were arising from issues of commitment since he had moved on with another woman.

"Dlamini is now out of my picture and he is just jealous and is also after tarnishing my image and that of Sibanda," she explained.

Surprisingly, her brother and sister whom she had referred this publication to corroborate her claims said they were not at liberty to share their family issues with the Press.

Although Dlamini confirmed meeting Ncube's brothers he said he was yet to meet Ncube's parents so that they could formally annul their union.

"It is true that we had a meeting at her brother's place and she was the one who asked to have it there. When that meeting was held I had already discovered that she was having an affair with Anglistone. She told her brothers that she had failed in marriage.

"And when they asked for my input I told them that what I had discovered had put me in an awkward position to continue with the relationship. My tradition, however, requires that my family goes to her father and mother, and formally conclude or close case in whatever direction and I'm still to do that.

"The issue really is not what she is doing as of now but the fact that her involvement prior to October with Sibanda led to the breakdown of our marriage, and then at the same time the two of them want to create an impression that she was never married.

"She is phoning my relatives and tells them that I am framing her that she is having an affair with Sibanda," said Dlamini.

He further said after their story was published in last week's edition, Ncube sent him a scathing message.

"Even ngimthanda uAnglistone kuqondile coz I am single and he is single so wena uhlutshwa yini . . . utshiyane lami please Nketha, I have a life to live, ukuthi ngilobani wena uyakusa ngaphi?, (literally meaning  even if I love Anglistone it is ok because I am single and he is also single, so what's troubling you. Leave me alone Nketha I have a life to live and who I am associating with it's none of your business).