A Johane Marange Apostolic Church polygamist shocked the Mutare Magistrates Court recently when he disclosed that he divorced one of his wives for refusing to provide for him financially.
Fungai Marange (36) of Marange was dragged before Mutare magistrate, Xavier Chipato, by his estranged wife Molline Mufudza who was applying for $15 000 maintenance for the upkeep of her four children who are all below the age of five.
Marange accused Mufudza of applying for maintenance as a way of fixing him after he sent her packing when the couple appeared in court last week on Thursday.
He told the court that according to his religious doctrine, his three wives must support him and their eight children as he is the head of the family. Said Marange:
All my three wives know that it is their duty to take care of the family. They do gardening together and we sell the vegetables and fresh maize to take care of the family.
Mufudza is stubborn. She knows that I am uneducated and therefore cannot be employed anywhere, but she insists that I should take care of her.
She became wayward when she realised that I could not secure a job. She started putting on short dresses like the one she is wearing today. It is totally unacceptable in our church.
She even stopped attending church services. Look at her, she does not even have a headscarf on her head.
Marange said the $15 000 that Mufudza was asking for was too much, and offered to pay US$15 every month for the four children’s upkeep.
Mufudza told the court that Marange is a builder, but he denied the claim, saying he was his late brother’s assistant.
Chipato ordered Marange to pay US$15 monthly maintenance for his four minor children.