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In-laws beat up man in dispute over daughter's estate

by Lethokuhle Moyo
15 May 2015 at 09:12hrs | Views
A PLUMTREE man who had approached the courts to claim his late wife's estate from his in-laws got more than he asked for yesterday when the in-laws ganged up and assaulted him outside the courts.

Mandla Israel Moyo of Village Mgceke in Plumtree was assaulted by his father-in-law, Edward Nhliziyo, brother-in-law, Sima Nhliziyo of Pumula East, and other relatives of his late wife just outside Tredgold Building which houses the Bulawayo Magistrates' Courts soon after attending their hearing.

The in-laws tore his shirt, slapped his face, rained blows on him and kicked him giving him no chance to retaliate or escape. They quickly disappeared from the scene after the assault.

A battered Moyo ran back to the court's ZRP section to report the assault.

Moyo was demanding property which he alleged he acquired with his late wife, Zanele Ludia Nhliziyo.

Senior magistrate Victor Mpofu did not grant his request after Edward and Sima told the court that Moyo owed Edward a lot of money in rent and lobola arrears.

"The respondent's defence is that applicant owed Nhliziyo several monies in rental arrears. The applicant also owes lobola demand to his in-laws. Applicant's case is not granted," said the magistrate. Moyo told the court that Zanele died while they were still trying to process their marriage certificate.

"She died in December 2014. We were blessed with a son who is now nine years old. The problem is that my mother-in-law, father-in-law, and sister-in-law are refusing with my property and the other estate that I acquired with my wife before she died. "They're even refusing me access to my child. My wife and I were working in South Africa. My mother in-law used to come to South Africa and take my money but I didn't have a problem with that," Moyo said.

Edward told the court that Moyo stayed at his house for 10 years without paying rent and was now in rental arrears.

"Your Worship, this man did not even pay a single cent towards lobola for his late wife until my daughter died. More problems arose after he raped my granddaughter, who is his step daughter. We discovered that he was sleeping with his step-daughter and this hurt me a lot," said Edward.

Edward, however, did not tell the court whether the family reported Moyo to the police over the rape case.

Moyo did not respond to the allegations.


Source - chronicle
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