‘Betrayed’ hubby to pay wife $2,000

By Noleen Makhurane

A BULAWAYO woman who was demanding nearly half the $11,000 lump sum pension of her husband of 38 years has been granted $2,000 by a court.

Early this month, Esnath Ndlovu applied for a lump sum spousal maintenance of $5,648 from her husband, Stephen Ndlovu.

The couple were customarily married for 38 years, while Ndlovu’s lump sum is for 37 years’ work at the National Railways of Zimbabwe.

Bulawayo magistrate Adelaide Mbeure said in granting Esnath $2,000, she had taken into account that Ndlovu was no longer employed and he had another wife and a four-year-old daughter who needed to be educated from his pension.

Esnath was satisfied with the ruling, thanked the magistrate and notified her that she was going to open a bank account for the first time for Ndlovu to deposit the money.

Ndlovu left the court room without saying a word.

He has previously told the court that his wife was betraying him.

When Esnath applied for the lump sum on January 4 this year, Ndlovu broke down in tears as he told the court that his wife of 37 years had been ungrateful and selfish.

“I’ve worked for 38 years and in those years I’ve cared for my wife. She wants half my pension because she doesn’t want to move to the rural areas with me.

“Now I live in fear that she’ll kill me over my pension. After taking her two children and treating them like my own, this is what I get,” Ndlovu sobbed.

Esnath had produced a letter in court for her medical condition which the magistrate put into consideration stating that the amount granted would cater for her medical needs. The Chronicle