Tsvangi­rai's wife seeks to stop white wedding

PRIME Minister Morgan Tsvangi­rai's customary wife Ms Locardia Karimatsenga Tembo is seeking to stop the planned wedding of her estranged husband and Ms Eliza­beth Macheka next week.
Tsvangirai and Ms Macheka are set to tie the knot on September 15 at Raintree Lodge in Harare.
Ms Karimatsenga's lawyer, Mr Jona-than Samukange of Venturas and Samukange, yesterday said he was final­ising papers for the interdict application to be filed at the High Court before the wedding.
Mr Samukange, who was speaking from his offices in Namibia, said he would electronically send the urgent chamber application to Zimbabwe for filing once he finishes working on it.
He said his client was still married to the Prime Minister and that there was no divorce.
"As far as my client is concerned, she is still married to Tsvangirai. She is actu­ally the first wife without includ­ing the late Susan," said Mr Samukange.
"Now that Tsvangirai is about to get into a white wedding with another woman, it automatically invalidates his marriage to Ms Karimatsenga.
"My client cannot claim conjugal rights to her husband once the white wedding is allowed. If she tries to do so, that will be viewed as adultery.
"Tsvangirai paid lobola for my client and he is her husband."
Mr Samukange said PM Tsvangirai paid lobola to the Karimatsengas well before he paid lobola to the Macheka family. 
"My client cannot allow the wedding to take place because that will be prejudicial to her. It will take away all her rights as Tsvangirai's wife," he said.
The delay in filing the court application, Mr Samukange said, was necessitated by the absence of proper confirmation on whether the wedding bells were actually tolling.
"We could have challenged this earlier, but there was no confirmation of the wedding news," the lawyer said.
"It was all grapevine news until we got hold of a wedding card. I am now in possession of the card and that is now beyond speculation." 
The lawyer also said the premier set a bad example to other men in the country.
On Wednesday, Ms Karimatsenga filed a US$15 000 maintenance claim against Mr Tsvangirai at the Harare Civil Court.
She wants him to contribute towards her upkeep and accessories, as she has been accustomed to.
In her claim, Ms Karimatsenga argues that the PM is her husband under customary law after he paid lobola to her parents in November last year.
Karimatsenga claims the PM had been supporting her before and after the marriage.
She is seeking an order compelling the PM to contribute towards her upkeep.
Ms Karimatsenga says the PM even sought permission to wed, which was granted by her parents.
She added that she even spent two months staying with the PM's mother in Buhera in line with African custom.
She said she became pregnant and the PM took her to South Africa for medication following some complications that led to a miscarriage.
Ms Karimatsenga said she was dependent on the PM for financial support.
She said she was now used to the high standard of living, which the PM had introduced into her life.
Preparations for PM's wedding at Rain Tree, Umwinsidale, Harare are now at an advanced stage, with the organisers sending invitation cards to people they want to grace the occa­sion.
Media reports also suggest that sev­eral leaders from African countries have been invited to the wedding.
The PM's wedding with Ms Macheka comes three years after the premier lost his wife, Susan, in a hor√É‚Äö√Ǭ≠rific accident in March 2009.  Since the tragedy Mr Tsvangirai was linked to several women before he decided to settle for Ms Macheka.