Somanje dispute deepens

By Tawanda Marwizi

HARARE – The dispute between the late Daiton Somanje’s second wife Esther Musango and the Somanje family is deep-seated and appears headed for the courts.

In an interview with a local radio station on Monday, Musango said the family was not being honest in their dealings with her and would meet them in court.

“I was in good books with all Daiton’s other children but they have changed all of a sudden. I am told that the issue will soon be heard in court. We will meet there,” she said.

Musango and Daiton were married for nine years but they had no children while the musician had several offspring from other unions. At this point we have not yet been able to establish the number, ages and gender of Daiton’s progeny.

Brother to the late musician Josphat Somanje accused Musango of not working with the family saying she had snubbed the memorial service that the family held in Marondera and had held her own service where the family was not invited.

Musango said she was surprised to hear that the family members were angry about her failure to attend the service held in Marondera. “Ndakashamisika vakunditi ko seyi musina kuuya ivo vakati vachatumira mota kuuya kutora zvinhu (When they announced that a memorial service would be held in Marondera they told me that they would send a truck to collect his (Daiton’s) belongings here in DZ but then they did not communicate with me),” she alleged.

Last week when we revealed that there was a dispute but both parties tried to act as though it was just a storm in the proverbial teacup. Musango claimed to have been unwell to be involved in any estate processing.

But she contradicted that statement during the radio interview when she admitted that they had gone to the Zimbabwe Music Rights Association (Zimura) as a family to consult on royalties issues.

Josphat Somanje told this paper that he is personally not interested in the estate but is only trying to make sure that his late brother’s children are not prejudiced by Musango who seems determined to go her own way.

“We are just doing it for his children,” he said last week.

He also claimed that the family had only sought legal advice but would not be taking the matter to court.

Sources say the feud is getting more acrimonious with each passingday and only a court would be able to resolve the estate dispute. The Herald