First known Zimbabwean man who got his lobola refund

Orient Jani got his lobola refund
Orient Jani got his lobola refund

Here is the first recorded man who got his lobola refund in Zimbabwe.

Orient Jani got all his lobola refund. In March 2013,Jani who stayed in South Africa paid lobola to his Zimbabwean wife Nataly Mucheche .He paid an amount of US$2 880,the amount is equivalent to R 37 000{South African currency}.During lobola negotiation ,the family of Jani and Machete agreed that the wife would move in with the husband after the white wedding. Prior to the wedding, Jani discovered that her wife was cheating on him with another man called Obert Karombo. He also discovered that the wife was pregnant with Karombo’s child.

After Jani discovered  the affair, he decided to approach the Macheche family for the refund of his lobola. Surprisingly, the head of the family his father in law refused to refund the lobola, the father in law even suggested that Karombo, the wife’s adulterous must compensate Jani. Jani tried to resonate with the Machete family but failed then he decided to take matter to the court and sued his in laws in the Magistrate court. In his lawsuit Jani demanded to be paid US$3 409 for lobola and transport money he used to move between South Africa and Zimbabwe. Despite that the Macheche family insisted that  Jani should be paid by Karombo.

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In September 2014,the presiding officer Marehwanazvo Gofa decided that the Macheche should refund Jani the lobola. MS Marehwanazvo quotes said

“Evidence is very clear that the plaintiff {Jani} was to be handed his wife on the wedding day. Even though the defended {Macheche} tried by all means t0 dispute the assertation and the two never stayed together as husband and wife.”

“The law has shown that a son in law can claim back the lobola he paid from his in law where alleged wife is{found to be} wrong. Accordingly plaintiff’s claim is allowed in the sum of $2580 plus costs.”

The inlaws of Jani didnt comply

Despite the ruling, the Macheche family didn’t comply with the ruling by the Magistrate court and then forcibly decided to gave Jani $200 from the $2 580 the court ordered. In 2015,Jani after seeing that the Macheche didn’t want to make a refund, he got a warrant of excution of property by the Messenger of the court. The Messenger of the court tried to excute  the Macheche’s farm of which they found out that it has no value to attach.

In December 2016,Jani continuously pursued the lawsuit, he filed an application for the imprisonment of his father in law for failing to refund the lobola. The Magistrate then ruled that the father in law was to be imprisoned if he failed to pay the lobola refund within 90days.With fear to go to prison, the Macheche agreed to refund the lobola to Jani, they deposited US$3679,25{57 000} into Messenger of court’s account which include legal costs.[1]