FORMER Zimbabwe Warriors striker, Shingayi Kawondera has sued Vice-President Constantino Guveya Chiwenga’s wife Marry for US$700 000, claiming that she fraudulently obtained a divorce order against him to facilitate her marriage to the then army commander.
According to the court papers, Kawondera says the US$700 000 is compensation for the immovable property and a company called Latchelle (Pvt) Ltd which were awarded to Marry as a result of the divorce.
The former footballer claims he never consented to divorcing Marry as alleged in the court papers that formed the basis of the dissolution of their marriage in July 2011 and that his signature was forged.
Reports suggest that the Chiwengas customarily married in 2011.
Kawondera said when his marriage to Marry was nullified, he was in Cyprus where he was playing football and there was never a time when he signed court papers confirming receipt of summons seeking divorce by his ex-wife.
“The parties in this matter (Kawondera and Marry) were formerly married to each other and the parties’ marriage was dissolved by a decree of divorce granted by this honourable court on May 19, 2011. The defendant had issued summons out of this court on June 7, 2010 seeking an order of divorce and ancillary relief under case number HC3805/10,” he said through his lawyers.
“Plaintiff (Kawondera) was never served with the summons as required by the rules of the court. Plaintiff was
not in the country, but was in Cyprus where he was a professional footballer at the relevant time.
“Defendant (Marry) fraudulently caused a return of service to be issued by the Deputy Sheriff at Harare falsely claiming that the plaintiff had been personally served with the summons on June 22, 2010 at Harare.”
Kawondera said Marry also fraudulently authored a consent paper dated July 7, 2010 wherein his signature was forged, agreeing to the divorce proceedings under HC3805/10.
The former Warriors star said in the said divorce proceedings, Marry also relied on an affidavit of a waiver and an amended affidavit of a waiver which purported to have been deposed by him.
“In actual fact, plaintiff never deposed to the said affidavits and the signatures purporting to be those of the plaintiff were forged by the defendant. The defendant also caused a firm of lawyers Samkange and Venturas to purport to act on behalf of the plaintiff and to make concession on plaintiff’s behalf. Plaintiff had never at any given time instructed the said firm of lawyers to act on his behalf,” Kawondera said.
