WIFE TAKES BACEDE TO COURT, DEMANDS E50K MAINTENANCE

MBABANE – Former Hosea MP Mduduzi Bacede Mabuza has been taken to court by one of his wives, Hloniphile, to compel him to pay E50 000 maintenance.

Hloniphile yesterday moved an urgent application at the High Court, where she is seeking orders, directing the former MP to pay school fees amounting to E19 302 for their three children. She also entreated the court to direct her husband to pay and/or facilitate the payment of the amount of E18 000, being arrears of a motor vehicle instalment in favour of Standard Bank for the month of May 2024.   Hloniphile is also praying for an order directing Mabuza to make and/or facilitate the payment of a monthly amount of E50 000 being monthly maintenance for his children, rentals, nanny, driver, medical fees, groceries and her upkeep.

In her application, Hloniphile narrated events leading to the alleged misunderstanding between her and Mabuza. She related to the court that in November 2023, with her children, they relocated to Mbabane to be close to her mother, since Mabuza is housed at Matsapha Correctional facility. Hloniphile brought it to the court’s attention that, with Mabuza, they are still legally married as no divorce proceedings were in progress and, therefore, she is still under his care and maintenance. 

The applicant (Hloniphile) submitted that she informed her husband about her decision to move from Coates Valley in Manzini, where they were staying, to Mbabane, as she needed emotional support from her mother. She said her mother would help her in raising her (Hlopniphile) children. “At first, my move was met with resistance from the respondent (Mabuza), who against my will, instructed that my children be placed with his other wife, Bongumenzi, at Mpaka. “Upon realising that the burden was too much on the latter (other wife), he told me to fetch the children and live with them in Mbabane, where I had secured a rented apartment,” submitted Hloniphile.  

She alleged that she later secured enrolment for the children in one of the private schools around Mbabane and she informed her husband about that since he paid school fees from his personal account. “Ordinarily, the respondent would, through Ekhabeni  Family Trust, make monthly transfers of E50 000 into my account towards the servicing of a monthly car instalment of E18 000 and the remainder of which I would tend to household necessities as well as day-to-day maintenance of the children and myself.”

She stated that her husband would further make school fees payments and other school-related expenses, as well as the nanny and driver fees, through his personal account. “In the first term, the respondent refused to make school fees payments and I had to make a commitment fee payment of E4 500, being E1 500 for each child. At that time, the respondent had unilaterally decided to stop maintaining me and the children and would tell me that he would only restore maintenance and school fee payment on condition that I come and visit him at the Correctional facility.”

Hloniphile told the court that, engulfed by distress and uncertainty for her livelihood and that of her children, she proceeded to Matsapha Correctional facility and that was when Mabuza decided to make the payment, including her rentals, sometime in February 2024. She said this was despite that they had moved to Mbabane in November 2023 wherein she would make such payments with monies that she raised through the assistance of her relatives, as well as her savings. Hloniphile went on to narrate that, in the month of March, after Mabuza had sent her money for her birthday, she told him that she could not proceed with the birthday celebrations, because the payment of their maintenance and upkeep was not certain. She said this was due to the alleged on-and-off behaviour of the former MP.

Hloniphile stated that she decided to save money as a result. “May I add that each time I and the respondent had a misunderstanding, he would cut us off financially without considering the children, who are innocent. He further requested that he wanted his money back and I told him that I would transfer it back to him, however, I then used it to cater for our children’s needs,” submitted Hloniphile.
She alleged in the same month of March 2024, her husband told her that he had decided that the children should change schools and relocate to Ngogola with or without her. According to Hloniphile, the former MP told her that the children would be looked after by nannies and he would further deregister them at their current school as she was being stubborn. “When my rentals became due, he did not make payments as per the norm and when I approached the accountant for clarity, I was told that she was instructed by the respondent not to make the payment and that for as long as I lived with the children in Mbabane, he would neither maintain us nor pay school fees and expenses related thereto,” she alleged.

The applicant averred that her husband further instructed the driver not to drop or pick up their children for school. According to Hloniphile, Mabuza later told the helper that she should quit her job and report her (Hloniphile) to authorities that she had left their children in her care.  The matter was yesterday at the High Court and through his attorneys, Mabuza indicated that he was opposing the application and is yet to file his papers outlining why the court should not grant the orders as sought by his wife in the application. Hloniphile is represented by Nosisa Hlophe.

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