Two months not enough for marriage status

A FATHER’s bid to claim a bride price from a man who stayed with his daughter for two months was thrown out after a traditional court ruled that the period does not constitute a marriage.

Crispen Simupere had dragged Bigboy Manyawo of Lawrancedale Farm to Chief Makoni’s court, demanding that Manyawo pays him a bride price for staying with his daughter.

However, Manyawo told the court that he only cohabited with Ropafadzo Simupere for two months when his wife had deserted him following a misunderstanding.

“Manyawo stayed with my daughter as husband and wife for some time, but later kicked her out. He did not pay any bride price for my daughter. I want him to pay me three beasts, three goats and US$1 000 as bride price,” said Simupere.

Manyawo said he had no intention of mar- rying Ropafadzo as he never approached the Simuperes for roora negotiations.

“I had a misunderstanding with my wife and she left home. I cohabited with Ropafadzo for two months at my home. Word reached my wife that I had taken another woman during her absence and she came back and chased her away.

“I never promised to marry her, and that is why I did not approach her parents for roora negotiations,” said Manyawo.

Asked by the court to clarify the status of their relationship, Ropafadzo who has two children from a previous marriage, said she stayed with Manyawo as his wife for four months.

In its ruling, the court dismissed the application saying the two cohabitated and were not married.

“The applicant is asking the court to upgrade cohabitation into marriage. There is no evidence before the court that there were roora negotiations between Manyawo and Simupere.

“Ropafadzo was once married and she is alive to marriage procedures and she should have insisted that Manyawo pay something to her parents before she moved in,” ruled Chief Makoni.

It was a bad day for Ropafadzo as her separate application for a share of the harvest of the crops she helped Manyawo in cultivating during her short stint with him was also thrown out by the same court.

“During my stay with Manyawo, we worked together in the fields. We have tobacco, maize and sunflower and we should share the proceeds after harvesting,” she claimed.

However, Manyawo’s wife who was in the gallery told the court that she went away after planting the crops and Ropafadzo was not entitled to anything.