| Thursday, 12 July 2012 10:06 |
By Rosina John
The Citizen Correspondent
Dar es Salaam.
Chadema secretary-general Willibrod Slaa yesterday found himself embroiled in a matrimonial dispute.
His former wife, Ms Rose Kamili, petitioned the High Court to block his planned marriage with Ms Josephine Mushumbusi, asking it to declare unlawful, null and void the new relationship which Dr Slaa intends to formalise on July 21 at Karatu.
Ms Kamili is also seeking the court’s declaration that their marriage still exists and that there cannot be another valid marriage on top.
Dr Slaa is blessed with two children with the Karatu MP with whom he started the relationship in since 1985. Ms Kamili argues in her petition that Dr Slaa was a Roman Catholic priest when they started their relationship. “He had on his own free will to initiate a procedure within the church to be relieved of priesthood and obligations of the holy orders so that he could build and take care of his family as well as regularise his marriage,” reads part of the petition.
Following the successful procedure, says Ms Kamili, they started living as husband and wife to the extent that even sensitive records and internationally recognised documents like the passport bore their names as husband and wife.
“All customary procedures for formalising the marriage were conducted and complied with, such as families from both parties recognising us as a couple,” she said.
The MP further states that they managed to acquire matrimonial properties, including two residential houses situated at Dar es Salaam’s Sinza suburb and Gongali village in Karatu District.
Through Trustmark Attorneys, Ms Kamili has already lodged a notice to object to the intended marriage to The Registrar of Marriages and Karatu Roman Catholic Priest.
Under the Law of Marriage Act, the two institutions are required to desist from celebrating or participating in any manner whatsoever in the intended marriage. The notice has also been copied to the leader of the Roman Catholic Church, Cardinal Polycarp Pengo, the bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Mbulu and the Registrar of the High Court.
According to the petitioner, their happy relationship started turning sour in 2009 when Dr Slaa started a relationship with Ms Mushumbusi to break the oath of marriage.
She claims that the Chadema leader started neglecting his duty as husband and father to the family by spending nights outside his home and misusing family resources to lead a luxurious lifestyle with his lover. According to the petitioner, Dr Slaa’s act of having an adulterous affair publicly, is not only a breach of the matrimonial oath, but the same is also inflicting psychological torture, amounting to cruelty on her.
“Since 2009 Dr Slaa has abandoned the family such that she has been compelled to bear full responsibilities for the upkeep of herself and the two children, including food, clothing, shelter as well as fees for higher education.
Ms Kamili also wants the court to order Ms Mushumbusi to pay her Sh500 million as damages for adultery as well as causing Dr Slaa to desert her and his family. She also wants Sh50 million in compensation for expenses incurred in maintaining herself and her family.
The matrimonial case filed by advocate Joseph Thadayo was set to be mentioned today before judge Lawrence Kaduri.
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