Chombo ex-wife ‘working’ for MDC-T
By Lance Guma
[twitter-follow username=”lanceguma” scheme=”dark”]
HARARE – Zvimba North MP and Local Government Minister Ignatius Chombo has unleashed a vicious media war against his ex-wife Marian Chombo by spreading claims that she is fronting the MDC-T in the constituency ahead of elections.
After a bitter divorce, Marian challenged Chombo for the right to represent Zanu PF in Zvimba North but lost in the primary elections amid reports of rigging and the removal of her name from the ballot papers in some wards.
Marian alleged Chombo had engaged in embarrassing electoral fraud. “Chombo stole the elections because he knew he was going to lose,” she said. “I am going to stand as an independent candidate and wrest that seat from him,” she vowed.
The Zanu PF controlled Herald newspaper now claims that Zanu PF supporters in Zvimba North want Marian barred from using the party logo and President Mugabe’s picture on her campaigns because she was working for the MDC-T.
The paper claims “at different rallies held in the constituency at the weekend, Zanu-PF supporters said Marian was sent by the MDC-T to disrupt Cde Ignatius Chombo, her ex-husband, who is vying for re-election in the constituency.”
The Zanu PF provincial secretary for security Christopher Shumba was even quoted saying the strategy was to present Marian as a Zanu-PF candidate and in the process woo gullible party supporters to vote for her. “Her aim is to split the Zanu-PF vote and allow the MDC-T to win Zvimba North,” Shumba roared.
Sources have however told Nehanda Radio, Chombo is behind the attacks and is gravely worried that Marian standing as an independent candidate will eat into his votes and leave him exposed to the chance of an easy MDC-T victory in the area.
The marriage between Marian and Chombo was terminated by High Court Judge Ben Hlatshwayo last year in September with the consent of both parties. The matrimonial property was eventually shared but not without legal and media drama.
Chombo was embroiled in a messy divorce with his wife of 26 years. Not only did the case expose his massive property portfolio published as a result of the case, but his affair with former ZBC news anchor Nanette Silukhuni was blown into the open.
Marian not only sought to divorce the bed-hopping love rat Minister but she also filed a Z$2 billion dollar lawsuit against his mistress (Silukhuni) who was branded “a classy man eater who has lived all her life pursuing rich men.”
Silikhuni had previous flings with the late businessman Rodger Boka who once bought her a Mazda 626 Executive car when she was at the Harare Polytechnic. She also dated then Natbrew MD Myethi Mpofu, leading to a heated clash with fellow journalist Lydia Mavengere who was involved with Mpofu at the time.
During the hearings in the Marian case, it was claimed Nanette had married Chombo under customary law and was not aware that Chombo was married to Marian. Ironically Marian also married Chombo under customary law in 1985 but had the marriage formalised in 1993.
It took an acrimonious property-sharing wrangle between Chombo and his wife to expose just how rich the Minister has become thanks to his abuse of authority and corruption. According to Marian Chombo below is a list of all the properties that her ex-husband ‘acquired’ over the years;
Vehicles
4 Toyota Land Cruisers
3 Mercedes Benzes
1 Mahindra
2 Nissan Wolfs
1 Toyota Vigo
1 Mazda BT-50
1 Bus
1 Nissan Hardbody
1 Toyota Hilux
Properties
2 Glen View houses
2 flats in Queensdale
A property in Katanga Township
Stand Number 1037 Mount Pleasant Heights
4 Norton business stands
3 Chinhoyi business stands
4 Banket business stands
1 commercial stand in Epworth
2 residential stands in Chirundu
4 commercial stands in Kariba
1 stand in Ruwa
1 stand in Chinhoyi
2 stands in Mutare
2 stands in Binga
4 stands in Victoria Falls
1 stand in Zvimba Rural
Chitungwiza (two residential and two commercial stands)
Beitbridge (four stands)
20 stands in Crow Hill, Borrowdale
10 stands in Glen Lorne
2 flats at Eastview Gardens (B319 and B320)
1 flat at San Sebastian Flats in the Avenues, Harare
Number 79 West Road, Avondale
Greendale house
Number 36 Cleveland Road, Milton Park
Number 135 Port Road, Norton
2 Bulawayo houses
Number 18 Cuba Rd, Mount Pleasant
Number 45 Basset Crescent, Alexandra Park
2 Chegutu houses
1Glen Lorne house (Harare)
2 houses (Victoria Falls)
Stand along Simon Mazorodze Road
Norton (one stand)
Avondale (two stands)
365 Beverly House (one stand)
Bulawayo (three stands)
Mica Point Kariba (one stand)
Marian also wanted the court to share farming equipment at New Allan Grange Farm including three tractors, two new combine harvesters, two boom sprayers and two engines.
She also sought an order compelling Chombo to cede to her shares in the family’s 10 companies including Dickest, Hamdinger, Landberry and Track in Security Company.
Marian, in her court papers, also claimed cattle at Darton Farm, shared chicken runs, pigsties, a shop, grinding mill, house, mills, tractors, lorries, six trucks, five of which are non-runners, four trailers (three non-runners) and one truck.
She added that other interests were the Mvurwi Mine, hunting safari lodges in Chiredzi, Hwange, Magunje and Chirundu as well as properties in South Africa.
To contact this journalist e-mail [email protected]
