(NEWZIMBABWE) MDC-T sex scandal spills into courts

MDC-T sex scandal spills into courts
by Staff Reporter
11/12/2010 00:00:00

AN MDC-T employee implicated in a sex scandal with a senior party official has sought a peace order against the man who claimed to be her husband. A civil court in Harare granted a protection order sought by Sandra Mutsimba against her husband and father of her one-year old child, Simbarashe Mawisire.

The couple has been at each other’s throat since Mawisire discovered that his wife was having an affair with MDC-T director general Toendepi Shonhe. The MDC-T has since suspended both Shonhe and Mutsimba on charges of improper conduct.

Mawisire allegedly caught the pair with their pants down in a room they had booked at a Bulawayo Lodge last month.

However, Mutsimba – who denies being married to Mawisire -- dragged the father of her child to court claiming he was threatening, stalking and assaulting her.

Mutsimba sought a peace order against her “husband” but Harare magistrate Ms Olivia Mariga granted a reciprocal protection order directing both parties to keep peace with each other.

The Magistrate however, refused to grant a request by Mutsimba that Mawisire should be barred from visiting the MDC-T’s Harvest House ruling the premises were a public place.

Meanwhile, Mutsimba insisted she was not married to Mawisire adding that they only had a child together.

“I wish to categorically state that the respondent and I were never married. We only had a child together.

“Ever since I broke off the relationship, respondent has been harassing, stalking me and sending text messages to me.

She told the court that they only had an affair after Mawisire had lied to her that he was single and had separated from his wife.

“I believed him and commenced a relationship with him. Our relationship resulted in the birth of a child, born in July 2009. Unbeknown to me during this period, respondent and his wife were still together.

“Later I discovered that contrary to what respondent was telling me, he was in fact still seeing his wife and that they had a third child who was born around the same time as my son.

“I confronted the respondent about this affair. Our relationship soured as a result of this which culminated in me breaking off the relationship with him and moving on,” Mutsimba said in her affidavit.

However, Mawisire insisted the two were customarily married adding his ‘wife’ was making false allegations because he had discovered their affair.

“Plaintiff and I were customarily married and all the formalities for a customary marriage were performed.

“I never harassed, stalked her or sent her unsavory messages. In fact, it is the plaintiff who is making up unwarranted allegations against me ever since I discovered her illicit affair with Toendepi Shonhe.

“I never asked her to move back with me. There was no way I was going to expose myself to risk of HIV and Aids by moving back with someone of such immoral tendencies,” Mawisire said.