Court awards Cranborne house to diplomat’s ex
A Harare High Court judge has awarded a family home to a woman following her divorce, ruling that it would be unjust to leave her homeless after a 30-year marriage. The court rejected the husband's claim that the property was his alone because it was acquired before the marriage.
Why it matters
The ruling sets a precedent for marital property rights in Zimbabwe, emphasizing the value of non-financial contributions to a household over long-term unions.
A Harare High Court judge has awarded a Cranborne house to a diplomat’s estranged wife after ruling that it would be unjust to leave her homeless following the collapse of their more than 30-year marriage.
Justice Philipa Phillips granted Marie Therese Kadurira a divorce from Nathan Amos Kadurira and ordered that House No. 6 Biddulph Road, Cranborne, become her “sole and exclusive property”, despite her husband’s argument that he bought the property before their marriage.
The court found that Kadurira had lived in the house with the couple’s children, invested in its upkeep and renovations and had made indirect contributions to the family during the lengthy marriage.
Phillips said it would make little sense to protect the living standards of a child who had been gifted another property while leaving a wife of more than three decades without a home.
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