Wife pitches unexpectedly at hubby secret wedding

A ZIMBABWEAN working in South Africa commonly known as an injiva was arrested when his first wife pitched up unexpectedly with his two-year-old son at his secret wedding, abruptly stopping proceedings.

This happened on Saturday when Movern Madhende of Gweru's Mkoba suburb was about to exchange marriage vows at an upmarket lodge in Gweru with another woman, Rejoice Muchingambi.

To add insult to injury, the injiva "groom" was further embarrassed when police quickly moved in and arrested him.
It turned out Madhende was on the police wanted list for allegedly defaulting paying maintenance for the upkeep of his two-year-old son.

"This is quite shocking and embarrassing at the same time. To imagine all the preparations we did for the event. What are we going to do with all the food? We also have relatives who came from distant places for the wedding," said a relative of the bride who declined to be named.

When a Chronicle news crew visited the wedding venue, Mpumalanga Lodge in Clonsilla suburb, Madhende, who was clad in a white suit, was being handcuffed by the police in front of an apparently puzzled crowd that had come for the wedding.

The bride, who was clad in a matching white wedding gown, had just fainted, apparently as a result of the shocking news that her groom was customarily married. She was rendered first aid after losing consciousness.

Relatives from both the bride and the groom's side could be seen hugging as they consoled each other.
Some could not help but burst into tears in disbelief after the wedding was abruptly stopped.

Others tried pleading with the two police officers who had arrested Madhende, to spare him the embarrassment of walking in handcuffs in the presence of his "in-laws" who had come for the "grand occasion".

"Ko nhai mapurisa murikusunga muchati pamberi paana ambuya kunge arikuramba kusungwa sei, chingomuregai afambe tiende kucharge office kwacho. (Why are you handcuffing him (Madhende) as if he is resisting arrest? Just let him walk to the police station by himself and stop treating him like a common criminal)," one of the relatives was heard saying.

In an interview, Madhende's wife, Rumbidzai Chipuma, who was mobbed by people after the abandonment of the wedding, said she had travelled all the way from Mutare after she got wind of Madhende's secret wedding. She said Madhende had been working in South Africa for the past two-and-a-half years and was no longer taking care of her and their two-year-old baby boy.

Chipuma said: "He (Madhende) left me in Mutare as he went to South Africa about two-and-half years ago and he never came back. I made several efforts to call him and every time he would lie to me that he will send something. I ended up approaching the Maintenance Court seeking to force him to send something for the upkeep of his son. I was granted $1 500 at the Mutare Civil Court."

She said Madhende never paid her anything towards the upkeep of their child only to learn that he was about to wed another woman in Gweru.

"He kept telling me that he had not divorced me as his excuse for not paying maintenance but has never given me a cent towards the upkeep of our child. I then learnt that he was flying into the country to wed another woman here in Gweru and I decided to come and stop the wedding ceremony," she said.

Chipuma said she reported the matter to the police at Gweru Central Station before proceeding to the wedding venue.
Midlands police spokesperson Inspector Emmanuel Mahoko yesterday confirmed the arrest of Madhende during a ceremony in which he was set to wed another woman.

"Yes I can confirm the arrest of Movern Madhende at a wedding ceremony where he was set to wed another woman without the knowledge of the first wife.

Madhende is still in police custody and is facing a charge of contempt of court after he defaulted in paying maintenance for the upkeep of his child," he said.