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Chivayo divorce settled, court orders US$5m maintenance
3 hrs ago |
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The High Court has brought finality to the high-profile divorce between Harare businessman Wicknell Chivayo and his estranged wife Sonja Louise Madzikanda, issuing a consent order that includes a US$5 million maintenance settlement and a detailed parenting arrangement for their minor children.
The ruling, handed down before Justice Tsanga on Thursday, formally ends a protracted legal dispute that had attracted significant public attention and frequent online commentary.
Under the terms of the order, Chivayo is required to pay a total of US$5 million into a bank account controlled by Madzikanda, with oversight retained by the businessman.
Court documents indicate that US$2.2 million has already been paid, while the remaining US$2.8 million must be settled within 30 days.
The court further ordered that Chivayo will be responsible for all reasonable living expenses of the children for an initial 12-month period, allowing Madzikanda time to establish and grow an investment portfolio intended to sustain future expenses.
After that period, the children's expenses are expected to be funded from returns generated by those investments, provided they are sufficient.
The consent order also sets out a detailed parenting plan granting Madzikanda primary residence of the children.
Chivayo is entitled to one uninterrupted week of access per month, all weekends, and alternating public holidays. The court further stipulated that during his allocated time, he must be personally present and cannot delegate childcare responsibilities to third parties.
Additional provisions ensure specific access on birthdays and Father's Day, including requirements for direct collection and return of the children within the same day where applicable.
Justice Tsanga also directed that any future disputes between the parties must first be resolved through mediation or legal representatives before approaching the courts, in an effort to reduce further litigation.
The court noted that property division arising from the marriage will be dealt with separately under case HCHF 62/2026, with both parties ordered to bear their own legal costs.
The settlement marks the end of one of Zimbabwe's most closely followed celebrity divorce proceedings, concluding months of public exchanges and legal wrangling.
The ruling, handed down before Justice Tsanga on Thursday, formally ends a protracted legal dispute that had attracted significant public attention and frequent online commentary.
Under the terms of the order, Chivayo is required to pay a total of US$5 million into a bank account controlled by Madzikanda, with oversight retained by the businessman.
Court documents indicate that US$2.2 million has already been paid, while the remaining US$2.8 million must be settled within 30 days.
The court further ordered that Chivayo will be responsible for all reasonable living expenses of the children for an initial 12-month period, allowing Madzikanda time to establish and grow an investment portfolio intended to sustain future expenses.
After that period, the children's expenses are expected to be funded from returns generated by those investments, provided they are sufficient.
The consent order also sets out a detailed parenting plan granting Madzikanda primary residence of the children.
Chivayo is entitled to one uninterrupted week of access per month, all weekends, and alternating public holidays. The court further stipulated that during his allocated time, he must be personally present and cannot delegate childcare responsibilities to third parties.
Additional provisions ensure specific access on birthdays and Father's Day, including requirements for direct collection and return of the children within the same day where applicable.
Justice Tsanga also directed that any future disputes between the parties must first be resolved through mediation or legal representatives before approaching the courts, in an effort to reduce further litigation.
The court noted that property division arising from the marriage will be dealt with separately under case HCHF 62/2026, with both parties ordered to bear their own legal costs.
The settlement marks the end of one of Zimbabwe's most closely followed celebrity divorce proceedings, concluding months of public exchanges and legal wrangling.
Source - the herald
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