News / National
Groom arrested at wedding venue over maintenance, wedding cancelled
01 May 2012 at 05:45hrs | Views
It was a wedding dream shattered for a Harare man when he was arrested on his wedding day leading to the impromptu cancelations of the potentially explosive wedding at Management Training Bureau Hall in Msasa on Saturday.
James Bleya was supposed to tie the knot with Tsitsi Kanokwiza at a colourful event that had a well decorated set but the wedding was never to be when James was picked by police at the entrance of the hall.
He was facing contempt of court charges after he allegedly defaulted in paying maintenance fees amounting to US$1,000. The order had been granted by the Harare Civil Court in 2010 after his erstwhile wife Ndakaziva Marange had applied for maintenance fee for the upkeep of their three children," it is alleged!
Our news crew was present at the wedding that never was at Management Training Bureau Hall and guests waited for the groom in vain, oblivious of sad developments outside the hall. James initially resisted arrest in full view of the bride who could not help but watch from the car that had brought her to her supposed wedding.
We caught up with James' first wife and she was very BITTER.
"As far as I am concerned, I am still married to James and I have been looking for him since he has not been paying maintenance as ordered by the court. The police have been looking for him and we were told that he was having a wedding today (Saturday) and I alerted the police. All I want is good welfare of the children," said Ndakaziva.
It also emerged that James fled their matrimonial home in Hatfield last year and went to co-habit with Tsitsi before eventually marrying her. He was married customarily to Ndakaziva and according to Ndakaziva's aunt Milca Marange, James NEVER paid a divorce token to her family.
"He (James) never paid a divorce token (gupuro) to us, he just fled from home and went on to stay with his small house. He has not been taking care of his children and nhasi toda kumugadzirira size yakanaka, ajaira kutambisa vana vevanhu," fumed Milca.
James was taken to Dombo police station in Epworth and our news crew trailed him there and witnessed him assisting police with investigations and he was later detailed in the holding cells making it impossible for a discourse with the Press. However his relatives threatened the reporters with unspecified action.
"Who are you people, you are too nosy. If we find this matter in the papers someone will pay for it," threatened an identified man who was accompanying James and was also part of the bridal team.
The same man could be overheard instructing one of the wedding planners at the venue to serve people with food and dismiss them after the 'wedding feast'.
"Jimmy is in a fix, just go ahead and serve guests with food," he said.
James Bleya was supposed to tie the knot with Tsitsi Kanokwiza at a colourful event that had a well decorated set but the wedding was never to be when James was picked by police at the entrance of the hall.
He was facing contempt of court charges after he allegedly defaulted in paying maintenance fees amounting to US$1,000. The order had been granted by the Harare Civil Court in 2010 after his erstwhile wife Ndakaziva Marange had applied for maintenance fee for the upkeep of their three children," it is alleged!
Our news crew was present at the wedding that never was at Management Training Bureau Hall and guests waited for the groom in vain, oblivious of sad developments outside the hall. James initially resisted arrest in full view of the bride who could not help but watch from the car that had brought her to her supposed wedding.
We caught up with James' first wife and she was very BITTER.
"As far as I am concerned, I am still married to James and I have been looking for him since he has not been paying maintenance as ordered by the court. The police have been looking for him and we were told that he was having a wedding today (Saturday) and I alerted the police. All I want is good welfare of the children," said Ndakaziva.
"He (James) never paid a divorce token (gupuro) to us, he just fled from home and went on to stay with his small house. He has not been taking care of his children and nhasi toda kumugadzirira size yakanaka, ajaira kutambisa vana vevanhu," fumed Milca.
James was taken to Dombo police station in Epworth and our news crew trailed him there and witnessed him assisting police with investigations and he was later detailed in the holding cells making it impossible for a discourse with the Press. However his relatives threatened the reporters with unspecified action.
"Who are you people, you are too nosy. If we find this matter in the papers someone will pay for it," threatened an identified man who was accompanying James and was also part of the bridal team.
The same man could be overheard instructing one of the wedding planners at the venue to serve people with food and dismiss them after the 'wedding feast'.
"Jimmy is in a fix, just go ahead and serve guests with food," he said.
Source - H-Metro
