by Bahle Gama
A woman has been reported to the Commission of Inquiry for frustrating her sister-wife and her late husband’s baby mamas over the distribution of his estate.
Appearing before the Commission Inquiry, Phumlile Methula told the Commission that her husband Zachariah Dlamini who died on November 27, 2014, had lobolad here before his demise.
Dlamini left behind Methula with five children and seven firstborns from each of his baby mamas. Also was his first wife who is a Nhlabatsi whom he was separated from when he died.
ALSO READ: Kusangana made me drink’, man tells court.
However, Nhlabatsi rushed to report the estate and claimed to be Dlamini’s rightful wife. She was appointed executor when the estate was reported at the Master’s office and was responsible for distributing the estate.
Three distribution accounts were drawn up which gave Dlamini’s children three cattle each, however, Methula and the other six baby mama’s children did not receive anything to date.
One of the baby mamas, Rosemary Kenny made the maiden report and appearance to the Commission before returning on Monday with her baby daddy’s wife Methula where they reported Nhlabatsi for excluding their children in the distribution.
Kenny told the Commission that when her daughter with Dlamini was born, she did not give her his surname because she wanted him to pay for damages.
However, when Dlamini died, the office of the Master refused to include her in the distribution because the child was using her mother’s surname. She was assisted by an aunt to change her surname recently.
She told the Commission that refusal to include her daughter in the distribution resulted in the child dropping out of school because she could no longer afford to pay for her school fees.
Methula on the other hand said her five children did not receive anything from the distribution.
“In the file, it was written that each child would receive three cattle, but the executor (Nhlabatsi) gave her son four cattle and six to herself,” submitted Methula.
She argued that Nhlabatsi was traditionally wedded to Dlamini and according to the law she is entitled to a share similar to that of the children, therefore it made no sense that she had to receive double the share.
Responding to the submissions,
ALSO READ: ‘Master of the High Court officers rude, hostile’
Assistant Master Makhosazane Mdluli told the Commission that three distribution accounts had been prepared and the office signed the one giving Nhlabatsi a go-ahead to distribute cattle.
“We are shocked that not all the children received their share, because Master gave her a letter approving the cattle ownership change.
We don’t know how Methula’s children were not given what was theirs,” said Mdluli.
Mdluli further stated that Kenny’s child would now be liable to receive part of the distribution because the certificate was fixed.
The Assistant Master and the Commission agreed that Nhlabatsi needs to be summoned to answer where she took the cattle and what must happen to the rest of the estate. As well as why her husband’s children were excluded in the matter.
Dlamini’s sisters who were also present pleaded with the Commission to assist the children who have not received anything from their brother’s estate because of Nhlabatsi.
“Our brother made it clear that everything should be distributed amongst his children, not his wife present or old. That is all we would love to see happen,” said Josephina, one of Dlamini’s sisters.
