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A HARARE woman was thrown out of her matrimonial home by relatives of her late husband before he was even buried.

Clarah Chikwenengwe and her nine year-old son still have no roof over their heads, 11 days after her husband, David Masimba Mupemhi’s burial.

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She has filed an urgent chamber application seeking an order stopping her late husband’s brother, Lovemore and nephew, Tatenda Mupemhi from evicting her from the Mablerign house.

Also cited as a respondent is Tafadzwa Kapingi, a gardener, who is refusing to open the gate for Chikwenengwe.

At the time of David, Chikwenengwe was in South Africa where she works as a house maid.

The court also heard David was resident in the United Kingdom (UK) but at the time of his death he was in Harare.

“On August 5 2021, and following the passing away of my late husband, me and my son were evicted, without a court order by the respondents  from our home. The home is registered in the name of my late husband,” said Chikwenengwe in her founding affidavit.

“As a result of our eviction, we presently have no roof over our heads, and we are having to squat with one relative after another.

This predicament, of lack of shelter, is of a continuing nature. The respondents continue to deny me and my son access to the Marblereign home,” she said.

She added: “The respondents are also denying us access to movable property which is at the premises. The property includes personal effects, like clothing, belonging to me and my son as well as household furniture that was purchased by my late husband before and after our marriage and two vehicles that are registered in the name of my late husband, a Citroen and a Mazda.

Their customary marriage was solemnised in 2016 after having subsisted since 2009.

After their marriage, court papers show they moved to Marblereign property  which was registered in her husband’s name.

The couple stayed alone with their son and when they were away, Kapingi would take care of the home.

Chikwenengwe then started working in South Africa the same year  and her husband became resident in the UK.

“Our arrangement was that we would meet, as a family in Zimbabwe during festive holidays and at any other times we would have agreed to. On some occasions my late husband would visit us in South Africa.

“Our personal effects such as clothing and household furniture are kept at that home. Often our stay at the Mablerign property was for the entire period of our time in Zimbabwe. In a single year, we would on average, spend three to four months at the Mablerign home,” said Chikwenengwe.

The last time the couple was at their Marblereign home was in January.

The husband then visited her in South Africa in June this year and returned to Zimbabwe on July 14.

He then fell sick at the end the same month and died on August 1 2021.

Chikwenengwe, due to travelling restrictions only managed to arrive in Harare four days later only to be barred from her home.

That night she slept outside with her minor son and learnt about burial through grapevine.

“I immediately gathered the impression that I was being sidelined, and that the respondents were up to no good. If it wasn’t for a tip off by one of my husband’s relatives, I would not have known about the burial arrangements. The same relative told me that the first and second respondent had taken the keys to my late husband’s cars… and that they had also removed his laptops from the Mablerign home.”

She said after burial, her husband’s nephew told her that the family had resolved not to permit anyone to the Mablerign home.

No lawful explanation was given.

To date the widow is moving from relative to another while awaiting the case to be resolved – NEWZIMBABWE.COM

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