Ex-beauty queen drags Mnangagwa to court

Former Miss Malaika Brita Masalethulini yesterday approached the Harare Civil Court seeking a protection order against her ex-boyfriend, Tarirai Mnangagwa, who claimed that she proposed love to him.

Brita said Tarirai, who claimed after the court appearance that he was nephew to Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Emmerson Mnangagwa, was in the habit of physically, emotionally and verbally abusing her.

The two sired a child together last year.

In her affidavit, Brita said she had a sexual relationship with Tarirai which was blessed with a child named Makyla Nolitha Mnangagwa, who is seven- months-old.

"The respondent has physically assaulted the applicant on several occasions and has even threatened to shoot her over petty issues, boasting that nothing will ever happen to him as he is politically well-connected," reads part of the affidavit.

Brita claimed that Tarirai threatened to forcibly take the child away from  her.

"Since respondent has already assaulted me in the past, I now live in fear for my life and he promised (sic) to hurt my relatives."

Tarirai denied the allegations and accused Brita of having approached him for the love affair.

"I never proposed love to her, but she is the one who made several advances on me resulting in the sexual relationship," he said.

Tarirai said Brita had two other children with two different fathers and he was the one who had been taking care of them.

"I have never abused her in any way," he said.

"We had a verbal argument after I noticed that she was failing to take proper care of our child."

Tarirai said Brita was furious because he told her that she was too old to be his wife.

Magistrate Ms Babra Masinire granted the protection order which barred Tarirai from physically or verbally abusing Brita and ordered the two to preserve peace towards each other.