Incriminating Whatsapp Messages: Man sues father-in-law, demands bride price refund after wife’s affair
Incriminating Whatsapp Messages: Man sues father-in-law, demands bride price refund after wife’s affair
A Zimbabwean man, Maxmillan Tapiwa Kondowe, has taken legal action against his father-in-law, Charles Bandera, in a bid to recover the $2,700 bride price he paid for his wife, Shumirai Bandera.
Kondowe filed the lawsuit after discovering that his fiancée had been unfaithful before their wedding ceremony.
Kondowe paid the bride price for Shumirai in March 2021, but Bandera imposed a condition that Kondowe could not live with his wife-to-be until after their formal wedding ceremony.
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Two months later, Kondowe found incriminating WhatsApp messages on Shumirai’s phone, which suggested her involvement with another man.
In a confrontation, Shumirai allegedly admitted to the infidelity, prompting Kondowe to terminate the marriage and seek a full lobola refund.
Bandera failed to present a defence when served with the summons, resulting in a default judgement against him.
Bandera then sought to rescind the judgement, citing the magistrate’s lack of jurisdiction and the reasonableness of his defence.
However, his application was dismissed by the civil court.
Bandera subsequently appealed to the High Court and obtained a temporary suspension of the judgement’s execution until a formal hearing is convened.