Siphakeme .Mnindwa
Tsenulo Moyo / Musawenkosi Moyo
THE cruellest betrayal often comes from those we trust the most!
This was at play when a 61-year-old Bulawayo man based in the United Kingdom allegedly committed a deplorable act of deceit by secretly marrying his “lover” in Zimbabwe, leaving his wife, with whom he has shared a relationship of more than 15 years, completely heartbroken and alone.
Thobani Ncube, who had been customarily married to Maina Nyathi (57) since August 2009 after meeting her in the United Kingdom, reportedly exchanged vows with another woman, Tswelelo Valela, on Thursday last week.
According to a lobola list in the possession of B-Metro, on 9 August 2009, the Ncube family from Esigodini visited Nyathi’s family home in New Magwegwe, Bulawayo to pay lobola.
During negotiations, seven cows were charged as part of the lobola payment. On 13 December 2009, they paid two cows, leaving a balance of five. His delegation promised to return to pay the remaining cows.
The delegation also requested to have a wedding, which was granted. Furthermore, they were made to pay $200 as compensation for the couple living together before their marriage.
Fast forward. Ncube recently reportedly returned from the UK claiming to be visiting his ailing father in Zimbabwe while his alleged true intention was to marry his secret lover.
This deception was brought to light when Nyathi, his wife in the UK, learnt of the secret wedding. Upon hearing the news, she sent her relatives to attend the wedding reception in Esigodini on Saturday, where a dramatic scene unfolded.
Her relatives, arriving uninvited, attempted to confront Ncube regarding his said betrayal. When a B-Metro news crew arrived at the scene, they observed that when Nyathi’s relatives also arrived at the wedding reception, a man, later identified as the groom’s relative, who had been wearing casual clothes, suddenly changed into his camouflage attire and began pacing back and forth near where the Nyathi family was seated, apparently in an attempt to intimidate them.
After a while, Nyathi’s relatives spoke with Ncube’s relatives attending the ceremony and requested that they call Ncube aside so that they could speak to him privately.
His relatives told them to wait aside while they called the family elders, who would bring him to them. However, Nyathi’s relatives were left in shock a few hours later when, instead of the family elders they had been waiting for, the police arrived at the scene.
The police arrived at the venue, confronted the Nyathi family, and informed them that they had received information that they had come to disrupt the event. They (police) also told them that they were uninvited and that their presence at the event was making the hosts uncomfortable.
The police then escorted the Nyathi family out of the venue and advised them to take the matter to court. Maina’s brother, Nqobile, who had gone to the wedding reception, said that Ncube had disrespected their family through his actions and that all they wanted was justice for his sister.
“All we went to do was ask Thobani a few questions; we did not go there to disrupt the wedding.
However, we were ignored by the Ncube family, and law enforcement agents were called on us. We want justice for my sister. We want her to be compensated, and the new wife should not benefit from all my sister’s hard work,” he said.
In an interview with B-Metro from the UK, Nyathi said she was in shock because she had a good relationship with Ncube.
“However, there were times when he would suddenly leave, claiming he was visiting his family. Even during his secret wedding in Zimbabwe, he had left claiming he was visiting his sick father,” she said.
Ntathi said she once saw a picture of Ncube and his newly married wife two years ago, but when she questioned Ncube, he told her that she was his cousin. She said she received a tip-off from a family member that Ncube was getting married.
She further said Ncube had been talking to her all along since he left the United Kingdom on December 16, and when she confronted him about rumours that he was planning to get married again, he denied it.
“I never thought you would live with someone for so long and they would do this behind your back. I am emotionally broken because we lived together for over 25 years and we are customarily married. Acquiring assets together and promising that once we have our investments in place, we would have a civil marriage, only to find out from people that he was getting married to his mistress when he told me that she was his cousin,” she said, her voice almost breaking with emotion.
She added: “He should have been honest, but never a day did he tell me that he was in a relationship with someone. He lived a lie. It seems he has been living this double life for years. He has to come back and explain now that he has married again.”
When asked to comment on the issue, Ncube denied that he had married another woman without the knowledge and consent of his wife.
“It’s nonsense,” he said. “There is nothing like that.”
