By Bahle Gama
Despite being separated for over 20 years; a man has told the Judicial Commission of Inquiry that he is entitled to his late ex-wife’s E1.2 million estate.
Michael Tfomo told the Commission that he was married to Bongekile Dlamini by Swazi Law and Customs but ended up separating.
“However, we made arrangements to annul the marriage but were never made to completion until she died,” said Tfomo.
This he said makes him Dlamini’s legal surviving spouse even though he had moved on with his life and built a home with a new family.
He said in the duration of their marriage he contributed to the estate.
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However, when problems arose with Dlamini, he opted to leave her and everything behind.
No child was born in their marriage.
Dlamini’s son Thandokuhle Leafe is hearing none of it from his stepfather and refuses that they share the estate.
He opted for getting nothing over sharing the
estate which must be shared equally between the two men.
“This man left us for about 20 years only for him to show up now that my mother has passed on to claim inheritance.
That will not happen, and he is not entitled to anything. I am not sharing anything with him,nangabe kunjani lobabe lona angamane atsatse konkhe,” Leafe said.
He stated that his mother who was a teacher owned property, residential, and rental flats which she left behind for him, and when she was alive, she told him everything was his and not to be shared with Tfomo because she had worked hard.
Leafe told the Commission that he is surprised and disappointed at Tfomo for behaving in such a way when he knows he is not deserving of the estate in any way.
Instead, he should just give it up because he already has a home and family.
He said if anything, Tfomo should be given the money he alleges to have contributed to the estate when he was still together with Dlamini instead of inheriting property he did not toil for.
Leafe further stated that the matter is pending in court.
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Tfomo told the Commission that if Leafe refuses, they get a 50/50 share, then he could consider a 60/40 with the stepson receiving the highest share.
“However, if he still refuses to do this then he can keep it all,” he said.
Suggestions made by the Commission were not satisfactory to both parties on how to share the estate and they suggested that it be handled at the family level regarding the marriage between Tfomo and Dlamini, where there should be answers as to whether it is valid.
This will likely put the fire out and hopefully provide a solution for the estate.