DEFENCE minister Sydney Sekeramayi and Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA) Commander Phillip Valerio Sibanda, have been dragged into an estate wrangle involving the parents of a deceased soldier and his girlfriend.
BY SILAS NKALA
The late Clifford Madzivanyika’s father, Tenison, wants the deceased’s girlfriend, Memory Makoronyani, barred from enjoying benefits of the estate.
In his urgent chamber application filed at the Bulawayo High Court on September 28, the deceased’s father said he was seeking an interdict order barring the army from channelling his late son’s estate to Makoronyani, who is also a member of the ZNA.
Tenison cited Makoronyani, Sekeramayi, Sibanda, pensions master and the Public Service Commission, as respondents.
“The first respondent (Makoronyani) seeks to conceal the will of the late Clifford … for her own personal gain and enrichment, which in itself is a criminal offence. Any payment of money to her from the estate … would be a traversty of justice, which will lead to irreversible financial prejudice to all the children of the late …” Tenison submitted.
In his founding affidavit, Tenison said Clifford died on October 15, 2015 at 3 Field Ambulance Hospital in Mutare. He said after his burial, Makoronyani offered to assist the family get access to Clifford’s estate.
He said family members travelled with Makoronyani to Mutare, where they were made to sign some court documents, which they did not understand.
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Tenison said after signing, Makoronyani started insulting him, saying he was a fool, indicating she intended to swindle Clifford’s estate, pensions and other benefits.
Tenison said he later travelled to Harare when the pensions master’s representative a Major Musekiwa allegedly told him that Makoronyani was officially recognised as Clifford’s customary wife and beneficiary of the deceased’s pension and motor vehicle.
He said they later discovered that Makoronyani’s son had also been listed as a beneficiary to the estate. Tenison said his son and Makoronyani never married.
He accused the Additional Master of fraudulently winding up his son’s estate without nominating an executor and giving Makoronyani a certificate of authority to the estate.
Tenison prayed for an interdict ordering the army to suspend payment of the pension to Makoronyani pending finalisation of the case. He said his late son had confided in him that his estate was supposed to be shared equally among his four children.
Respondents are yet to respond to the application.
