BUSINESSMAN and Zanu-PF legislator Philip Chiyangwa has been summoned to court by wife Sanisa Katerere who he has been cohabiting with for the past 26 years.
Sanisa has approached the High Court seeking to end the unregistered customary law union accusing the business tycoon of verbal, emotional and physical abuse.Through her lawyers, Mtetwa and Nyambirai, Sanisa argues that the pair’s relationship which they entered into in 1993 and agreeing not to marry has ceased.
Two children were born out of the union.
According to summons, Sanisa claims she has failed to put up with Chiyangwa’s abuses which have also marred their love partnership.She wants Chiyangwa to pay US$3 500 as maintenance for one of their child attending university including several other properties.
“The Plaintiff (Sanisa) and the Defendant (Chiyangwa) consummated an unregistered customary law union sometime on 1993.“The Plaintiff financially contributed during the subsistence of the union to the acquisition of assets in regard which general law as opposed to customary law applies.
“Plaintiff (Katerere) contributed significantly to the establishment and growth of the Defendant (Chiyangwa)’s business empire and investment vehicles, directly through financial means, labour and skill…,” reads Sanisa’s declaration. She said besides offering her properties as mortgage for Chiyangwa, she also provided him with emotional support.
“…providing defendant with emotional, physical, domestic support as a wife and a mother to four of his children from other unions.“More specifically, the Plaintiff (Sanisa) allowed the Defendant (Chiyangwa) to mortgage her property known as number 59 Greengrove Drive, Greendale, Harare…
“…sold her father’s property known as number 45 Elign Road Hatfield, as well as her Eastlea at number 2 Northampton Court in order to raise funds to lay the foundation of the Defendant’s business ventures which have since profitably grown into a vast empire,” she said.
Besides claiming ownership of four other luxurious vehicles, Sanisa is also claiming a Bryaston house, a farm in Chinhoyi, two Mercedes-Benz GL63 and a Mercedes-Benz E Class drop top.
The ex-ZIFA boss’s wife is demanding 50 percent shares from his seventeen companies and the Philip Chiyangwa Family Trust which Sanisa claims was established to disinherit her and her children from assets during their union.
Through the summons, Sanisa is seeking an order of the court to confirm the existence of a tacit universal partnership between her and Chiyangwa hoping that the businessman doesn’t get unjustly enriched with assets.
She expects the court to fairly divide the pair’s assets acquired during the customary law union.
