Harare | World Harvest Ministries founder, Frederick Shumba, has been divorced by his wife of 32 years after being accused of having multiple adulterous affairs.
His wife, Consilia Shumba, filed for divorce, saying their marriage had irretrievably broken down.
A high court judge, Justice Fatima Maxwell, granted her a divorce decree.
In her papers, Consilia said Shumba would publicly accuse her of prostitution while he was the one who had many girlfriends outside their marriage.
She said Shumba accused her of trying to kill him three times.
According to her divorce summons, the parties were married in terms of the then Marriage Act (Chapter 5:11) on September 7, 1991, and their union produced three children.
On August 27, 2019, Consilia issued a summons claiming a decree of divorce and ancillary relief.
She said Shumba committed adultery with several women and treated her with cruelty inconsistent with a normal marital relationship.
She said Shumba deserted her for over three years and told her, in front of his brothers and sisters, that he no longer loved her and had “divorced” her.
Consilia also suggested a distribution plan for the assets acquired during the subsistence of their marriage and prayed that each party bear its own costs.
Consilia accused her husband of trying to elbow her out of their marriage empty-handed by forming a trust in his name.
She demanded that the properties in the trust be subject to distribution, as she was not consulted and did not consent to their transfer to the trust.
She said a house in Norton is the matrimonial home and should be awarded to her in addition to stands in Norton and Gweru.
Consilia Shumba
She proposed that Shumba be awarded a house in Poorle Road, Twinlakes, Norton, and a commercial stand for lodges in Kariba.
She stated that, in terms of value, she was getting less than what she proposed should be given to Shumba.
Consilia testified that the parties were both working, but she earned more than him.
According to Consilia, they started a car-selling business before Shumba left employment and became a full-time pastor.
After he left his job, Shumba asked Consilia to quit her job so that she could accompany him on his home visits to church members.
Justifying her claim, Consilia said they acquired their wealth together, and in his absence, she would be the pastor at church and the housewife at home.
She said Shumba would travel to the United States and bring back lots of money.
At times, she said, she would accompany him on the international trips.
Shumba gave a different version and stated that the assets don’t belong to him or them as a couple but to the church and are not available for distribution.
He pointed out that the six-hectare agricultural plot in Norton is state land and was not subject to distribution.
Justice Maxwell granted Consilia a stand in Norton as her sole and exclusive property, while Shumba was awarded a commercial stand in Kariba.
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