Tarumbwa’s wife wins divorce case
By Gibson Mhaka
BULAWAYO – The bitter marital dispute which was pitting Highlanders’ striker Obadiah Ranganai Tarumbwa who is on a season’s loan from Bantu Rovers and his now ex-wife Patience “Stacey” Ndiweni due to the footballer’s alleged adulterous liaisons was put to rest after the latter’s divorce claim was granted by a Bulawayo High Court.
Ndiweni approached the Bulawayo High Court early this year seeking a dissolution of her four-year marriage to the footballer apparently after she caught him getting “cozy” with a “side chick” Lorraine Ncube at their matrimonial home.
A decree was granted on the grounds that the two parties’ marriage had “irretrievably broken down.”
Surprisingly, Ncube who was traditionally married to a city lawyer before the two parted ways in June last year owing to the former’s unfaithfulness was also Ndiweni’s best friend dating back to the days when Tarumbwa plied his trade in Cyprus.
According to court papers Patience claimed that Tarumbwa improperly associated with several other women such that he has a child outside the parties’ marriage. She also claimed that the football star was emotionally and verbally abusing her.
Speaking to B-Metro Ndiweni who sounded “relieved” confirmed the dissolution of the marriage.
“It is true that my marriage to Obadiah has been dissolved. I don’t have the papers here with me, they are with my lawyer. I would love to give them to you considering the treatment I got from Obadiah,” she said.
In court Tarumbwa who was seeking the custody of their two minor children lost his bid after he failed to give “satisfactory” reasons why the children should not be in the custody of their mother considering their age.
As if that is not enough, the soccer star was also asked to pay a monthly maintenance of $200 for their two children.
Initially $300 was demanded by his estranged wife.
As part of their divorce settlement Ndiweni surrendered most of their household property to Tarumbwa.
Tarumbwa is no stranger to controversy as mid-last year Esther Mwaka from Nairobi, Kenya told this publication that she had a child with him when he was playing for Sofapaka in the Kenyan Premier League in 2013 before joining South African side Pretoria University.
When she discovered that Tarumbwa was married to a Zimbabwean woman, Ndiweni, Esther blew a fuse and she now vows that her son will grow up to be a better man without his father. B Metro
