BY CHARLES LAITON
Former Primary and Secondary Education minister Lazarus Dokora’s estranged wife, Mercy Hanyani, has taken the former Rushinga MP to the High Court seeking an order to share the couple’s property following the dissolution of their customary marriage.
According to Hanyani, she entered into an unregistered customary law union with Dokora in May 2016 during which time the former minister performed all the cultural rites and paid lobola for her.
Hanyani said pursuant to the customary law union, she relocated from Mutare to Harare and commenced to live with Dokora as husband and wife and the couple was later blessed with a baby in September 2019.
The woman further said during the subsistence of their marriage, she made direct and indirect contributions to the acquisition of both movable and immovable properties through her personal earnings as a teacher.
“When the defendant terminated the parties’ customary union and universal partnership, he retained all of the parties’ acquired assets and forced the plaintiff out with only her and the minor child’s personal effects,” Hanyani said adding that was despite the fact that she gave comfort to Dokora as his wife which enabled him to devote his energies to his work, his political career and managing the couple’s farming and other businesses.
Hanyani said it was therefore, just and equitable, considering the lifestyle she was accustomed to as the wife of a minister, farmer and businessperson, that she should be awarded part of the matrimonial property.
“It would be fair distribution of assets, if plaintiff is to be awarded 50% of the immovable property listed in clause 15 (stand 172 Carrick Creagh of section 4 of Borrowdale Estate) above and the defendant retaining 50% thereof with the defendant having the option to buy-out the plaintiff’s shares….”
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Hanyani also said she was demanding that Dokora give her 45% of the value of the general dealer and bottle store business in Rushinga, several household properties, Ford Everest or Mercedes Benz E300 and a Kawasaki motorbike.
The matter is pending.
