News / National
Man up for bigamy
28 Oct 2017 at 02:54hrs | Views
A BINGA man who married a second wife before formally divorcing his first wife has been charged with bigamy and failure to pay maintenance.
Felix Mupande (32) from Chief Siabua area pleaded guilty to both charges when he appeared before Binga resident magistrate Ms Aelene Munamati on Thursday.
The court heard that Mupande illegally married a second wife and was also in maintenance arrears of $280.
The arrears arose after a magistrate ordered him to pay $30 per month starting in September last year for the upkeep of his wife and two minor children, whom he had abandoned.
Mupande told the court that he decided to marry another woman after his wife Mrs Smallgirl Dube-Mupande denied him sex for three months.
He said he was prepared to stay with his wife on condition that his conjugal rights were restored.
"I knew that it was wrong to marry another woman before formally divorcing the first wife but I did that because she denied me my conjugal rights for three months," said Mupande.
Mrs Dube-Mupande said she put her husband on sex sanctions because he was not supporting her and the children.
She, however, left the court a happy woman after the magistrate told her that she had every right to evict the second wife from her matrimonial home.
"Go and play your part as a woman. You also have the right to chase away the second wife because she is not legally married as you are not yet divorced," said the magistrate.
For bigamy, Mupande was sentenced to one month in jail which was wholly suspended on condition that he completes 35 hours of community service at Malube Primary School.
He was sentenced to two months in jail for defaulting on paying maintenance and the jail term was suspended on condition that he clears the maintenance arrears by November 15.
Prosecuting, Mr Bruce Maphosa said Mupande was in September last year ordered by the same court to pay $30 per month for maintenance after abandoning his wife and two minor children.
He however, did not pay anything until last month when he was arrested after the money had accumulated to $360.
Upon his arrest, it was discovered that Mupande had also married a second wife Ms Otilia Muzamba resulting in bigamy charges being preferred against him.
After being arrested, Mupande paid $80 towards the arrears.
Felix Mupande (32) from Chief Siabua area pleaded guilty to both charges when he appeared before Binga resident magistrate Ms Aelene Munamati on Thursday.
The court heard that Mupande illegally married a second wife and was also in maintenance arrears of $280.
The arrears arose after a magistrate ordered him to pay $30 per month starting in September last year for the upkeep of his wife and two minor children, whom he had abandoned.
Mupande told the court that he decided to marry another woman after his wife Mrs Smallgirl Dube-Mupande denied him sex for three months.
He said he was prepared to stay with his wife on condition that his conjugal rights were restored.
"I knew that it was wrong to marry another woman before formally divorcing the first wife but I did that because she denied me my conjugal rights for three months," said Mupande.
Mrs Dube-Mupande said she put her husband on sex sanctions because he was not supporting her and the children.
"Go and play your part as a woman. You also have the right to chase away the second wife because she is not legally married as you are not yet divorced," said the magistrate.
For bigamy, Mupande was sentenced to one month in jail which was wholly suspended on condition that he completes 35 hours of community service at Malube Primary School.
He was sentenced to two months in jail for defaulting on paying maintenance and the jail term was suspended on condition that he clears the maintenance arrears by November 15.
Prosecuting, Mr Bruce Maphosa said Mupande was in September last year ordered by the same court to pay $30 per month for maintenance after abandoning his wife and two minor children.
He however, did not pay anything until last month when he was arrested after the money had accumulated to $360.
Upon his arrest, it was discovered that Mupande had also married a second wife Ms Otilia Muzamba resulting in bigamy charges being preferred against him.
After being arrested, Mupande paid $80 towards the arrears.
Source - chronicle
