Cape Town - Zimbabwean Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai is facing a last-minute challenge to his wedding on Saturday after his former fiancée filed a case in the country's High Court claiming he was still married to her and owed her maintenance.
According to the Telegraph, Locardia Karimatsenga, 40, alleged in a court document that she and Tsvangirai, 60, wed in a traditional ceremony in November last year.
The wealthy commodity broker, mother of an 18-year-old daughter from a previous relationship, claims she also fell pregnant by the veteran politician and later miscarried after their brief relationship ended.
She is now claiming $15 000 monthly maintenance payments, and on Friday lodged an urgent application in Harare's High Court for Tsvangirai's upcoming marriage to be blocked until the issue is resolved.
According to the report, she claims that Tsvangirai was "mentally devastated" by the miscarriage and is rushing into another marriage in a bid to forget it.
"He is a good man and if he seeks psychological and psychiatric assistance, he can return to his old condition of being a caring and loving husband," she reportedly said in court papers.
Tsvangirai has refused to comment publicly on the spat or the rumoured pregnancy, and is going ahead with his wedding to Elizabeth Macheka, 35, the daughter of a Zanu-PF central committee member.
An estimated 500 guests, including African heads of state, have been invited to attend the nuptials at the exclusive Raintree Cafe, in Harare's expensive Umwinsidale suburb.
- News24