Siblings fight over mother's estate

THE death of a parent is a trying time even in the best of circumstances.

But for a Bulawayo woman and her brother from Kingsdale suburb it seems the death of their mother apparently provided them with an opportune time to fight for the control of her house.

So ugly is the property feud between Nanziwe Tshabalala and her brother Themba Ndlovu that it had since spilled into the courts where Nanziwe has sought a protection order against her brother in a bid to bar him from accessing the house at the centre of the dispute.

As a protest against her sister's actions of barring him from entering the house Ndlovu has resorted to camping on the verandah with his belongings.

"I am seeking a legal recourse against my brother Themba Ndlovu who is coming to the above address (Number 3 Querl Road Kingsdale) on numerous occasions while he is drunk saying he wants to come and stay in the house by force.

"Each time he comes he is always insulting me together with the tenants saying the house belongs to him. On 24 August he brought all his belongs and dumped them on the verandah saying I do not have the powers of stopping him from staying at the house," she said.

In response Themba said problems started after their mother's death. "Problems started after the death of our mother. Nanziwe is acting in a selfish way by denying me access to the house after she was appointed by our relatives to collect rentals. I asked her to give me a room to stay since I am no longer employed but she flatly refused. I am facing financial problems and I have nowhere to stay.

"The house belongs to our late mother and I am also supposed to benefit from it. As we are speaking I am staying on the verandah and my wife have since left me to stay with her relatives," he said.

Presiding magistrate Marylene Mtshina granted the order which compels both parties to maintain peace between each other by not verbally and emotionally abusing each other.