Zimbabwe: Tsvangirai Threatened With Perjury Charges Over Alleged Marriage

Harare — In Zimbabwe the storm over Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai's marriage is far from over. Lawyers for his ex-partner, Locardia Tembo, are trying to get him arrested for perjury. They say the Movement for Democratic Change leader lied in court papers by saying he wasn't married when in fact he had paid bride price for Tembo last year.

Morgan Tsvangirai's marriage fiasco is still front-page news in the official Herald newspaper.

The Zimbabwe prime minister tried to get married at the weekend to his fiancee Elizabeth Macheka.

But ex-partner Locardia Tembo got his marriage licence cancelled - and Tsvangirai had to settle for a traditional bride-giving ceremony.

State media now say that Tembo's lawyer, Jonathan Samkange, will be holding meetings with Zimbabwe's attorney general to see if Tsvangirai should be arrested.

The lawyer says Tsvangirai lied under oath by signing an affidavit claiming he never actually married Tembo in November last year.

But video footage shows he paid bride price for her and that's an essential part of traditional Zimbabwean marriage rites.

Perjury is a serious criminal offence in Zimbabwe and can attract a jail term.

Lawyers are likely to haggle over what a legal marriage is, given that Tsvangirai and Tembo do not have a wedding certificate.

Reports say Tembo is happy to remain in a polygamous marriage as long as she is seen as the senior wife.

Tsvangirai's MDC party claims state security agents are stirring things up to tarnish his reputation.

Commentators say with elections due next year, Tsvangirai needs to clean up his image or risk permanently spoiling what has until now been his powerful political brand.

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  • kjrs120
    Sep 19 2012, 21:52

    Lobola is not as binding as you think. Many men have paid lobola to a woman, got tired of her and sent her packing to the village to her parents, children and all and meanwhile the man took another woman. If she is young, he paid "damage" to her parents, lobola again and it goes on. Remember lobola is paid to the woman's parents and no father will ruffle up feathers and end up returning the cows or whatever he had demanded and for that reason, some parents even go as far as chasing the jilted daughter back. Regarding Fr Makara, as someone not just invited to the reception but asked to bless or officiate the marriage to some degree, and as I imagine the invitation must have been given to him in good time and with so much prior publications of court proceedings between the groom and his women, how could he not have done his due diligence to find out whether Tsvangirai had paid lobola or not and generally his marital status? I think the Rev. Father is making excuses for his own negligence as the presider. I will be happy to hear his confession.