A High Court judge and former Justice Secretary has caused controversy following revelations by his wife that he uses n’angas to strengthen himself professionally.
The revelations came as judge David Mangota is in middle of a mercy divorce with his wife of 28 years, Mrs Roselyn Mangota.
Without recourse to courts the judge has barred his wife from their matrimonial home after dumping her clothes and other movable property at her parents’ home.
The judge wants to take the family farm in Lalapanzi and all the 100 head of cattle there and several goats they jointly own, which is strongly opposed by the wife.
The judge filed for divorce at the High Court on March 11 this year, accusing his wife of believing in some cultural practices and mystical activities, which he failed to appreciate and understand.
However, Mrs Mangota filed a plea through her lawyer, Mrs Beatrice Mtetwa of Mtetwa and Nyambirai Legal Practitioners, indicating that she had failed to tolerate the judge because of his obsession with n’angas.
“Plaintiff (judge) completely lives in the past and forced the defendant to partake in many traditional, n’anga-inspired rituals and other practices designed to strengthen him both personally and professionally,” says Mrs Mangota’s lawyer.
The judge’s wife is now squatting in a single bedroom house with her son after being barred from the family houses by the High Court judge.
Justice Mangota is being accused by his wife of taking the law into his own hands by grabbing the property that his wife was using during the subsistence of the marriage despite the fact that a divorce is yet to be granted.
“Plaintiff, by purporting to ‘redistribute’ the assets of the parties, has taken the law into his own hands and became judge and jury in his own cause,” the woman claims.
The judge argued that his wife should only get a small motor owned by the two while he keeps the family houses, farm and 100 cattle.
