Teacher jailed for marrying second wife

Simbarashe Hove (51), who is a teacher at Masaswe Primary School in Mwenenzi District, was last week convicted at the Mwenezi Magistrate Court after he was found guilty of entering into a one-to-one marriage with another wife before legally cancelling his first marriage.

Hove was convicted on his own plea of guilty of Contravening Section 104 (1) of the Criminal Law Codification and Reform Act Chapter 9:23 “Bigamy”.
He was sentenced to 4 months imprisonment or alternatively pay a fine of $160.

Hove, who spent hours locked up at the cells before he later raised the fine, was severely condemned by magistrate Honest Musiiwa during trial.
Musiiwa pointed out that had he not taken into consideration that Hove was still employed, he would have imposed a straightforward custodial sentence without the option of a fine because Hove deserves such punishment.

The magistrate insisted that as a teacher, Hove was supposed to be exemplary but he decided to deliberately lie and hoodwink the courts into endorsing his second monogamous marriage.
State facts are that on October 19, 1990, at Masvingo Magistrate Court, Hove entered into a monogamous marriage with Naume Ngwenya in terms of the Marriage Act Chapter 37, which stipulates that a man/woman is obliged to have a single partner.

It was further heard that, on October 27, 2010, at Mwenezi Magistrate Court, Hove entered into another monogamous marriage with Patricia Ruzengwe in terms of the Marriage Act Chapter 5:11, which is an amendment of Chapter 37, with similar provisions.

The matter came to light when Ruzengwe approached the Chivi Magistrate Court claiming maintenance from Hove and a police report was filed leading to the accused’s arrest. Two marriage certificates were produced as exhibit in court.