A female police officer accused of ruining a marriage will not be pocketing her full salary for a long time until she pays her boyfriend’s wife an amount totalling US$ 5,000. This is after a Bulawayo magistrate granted a garnishee order on her salary.
The officer in question, Chipo Mukwasi, who is said to be stationed at Tomlinson Depot in Harare, was sued earlier this year by Yeukai Pfumbirai, who claimed that Mukwasi was deeply in love with her husband.
On January 9 this year, Pfumbirai was granted a judgment awarding her US$5,000 in her lawsuit against Mukwasi. However, Mukwasi allegedly refused to disclose her home address, making it difficult to serve her with the court summons for payment. As a result, Pfumbirai sought a garnishee order to enforce the payment.
Consequently, the presiding Bulawayo magistrate, Vakayi Chikwekwe, granted Pfumbirai’s request for a garnishee order. However, the ordered amount was reduced to US$75 instead of the full US$200 requested.
In her affidavit, Pfumbirai explained,
“I obtained a judgment in my favour on 9 January. The respondent is supposed to pay me a total of US$5 000 broken down as US$2 500 being compensation for the injury, insult and indignity I suffered as a result of the adultery and US$2 500 being compensation for loss of consortium (intangible benefits of a relationship).”
Despite serving Mukwasi with the court summons at her workplace, Pfumbirai faced difficulties as Mukwasi allegedly avoided receiving them. Hence, Pfumbirai was left without an option but to pursue a garnishee order as the only viable option for payment.
During the garnishee order hearing, Chipo Mukwasi appeared in court wearing her police uniform. The magistrate instructed her to leave the courtroom, change out of her uniform, and wear civilian formal attire.
However, Mukwasi did not return after being ordered to change out of her uniform.
Source iHarare
