Divorces have taught me a lesson – Zimba

By PERPETUAL SICHIKWENKWE-
FORMER Information and Broadcasting Services minister in the MMD Government, Newstead Zimba has told the court that experiences in his previous divorces have taught him lessons.
Mr Zimba, however, told the court when he was asked by his former wife, Naomi Mbewe’s lawyer as to what happened with his first two marriages if he did not believe in divorce.
In his response, Mr Zimba said he divorced the first wife and abandoned the second one for Ms Mbewe, who has now dragged him to court in an appeal case over property sharing.
She has appealed against the Lusaka local court’s decision to grant Mr Zimba a house on Woodlands’ Nalikwanda Road after their divorce last year.
Ms Mbewe contends that she equally contributed to the purchase of the house while in marriage and as such, she should also benefit from the property.
Mr Zimba, who is also a former diplomat, has appealed against the local court’s decision to give Ms Mbewe one of the two vehicles, claiming they were both his.
During continued trial before Lusaka resident magistrate, Ireen Wushimanga yesterday, Mr Zimba urged the court to throw out Ms Mbewes request, saying he bought the house from his earnings.
“When I was in foreign Service, I was getting a lot of money, K38 million per month at some point. I was already minister when I married her so I had money,” he said.
Mr Zimba said the money which Ms Mbewe was making from her salon and other businesses was not much.
He said he allowed Ms Mbewe to co-hold the title of the house but that did not mean that she had contributed to its purchase.
Meanwhile, Ms Mbewe’s lawyers yesterday asked the court to intervene over Mr Zimba’s refusal to release Ms Mbewe’s personal property such as underwear, other clothes and the house.
Ms Wushimanga has since advised Ms Mbewe to put in a formal application to the court so that the matter could be attended to.
Mr Zimba confirmed to the court that there were some personal items belonging to Ms Mbewe at his house but that he did not ask her to leave the matrimonial home.