Widower pursues late wife’s property
Written by Millennium on June 10, 2019
MUTINTA MULAYE writes
@SunZambian
THE Lusaka Boma Local Court has revoked the administrator status of a woman of Chilanga who was sued by her brother in law for being uncooperative.
Henry Mavimba, of the same locality who dragged 51 year old Priscilla Mpande to court, told Senior Local Court Magistrate Peggy Nyambe that his sister-in-law was not cooperative over properties left by his wife.
“After my wife died, Priscilla was appointed as administrator, the court ruled that if there was any property, that is a house, and any vehicle, it should be vested in the hands of the widower. And if the widower marries, the children of the late should occupy the property,” Mr Mavimba said.
He said the property left by his wife was bare land on which he he decided to build a house.
“I told the administrator how things should be according to the court’s order but there has been a lot of resistance. I went to the High Court and got a probate and I was told to come here and remove her from being an administrator,” he said.
In defence Mpande told the court that she wanted to continue being an administrator because her brother in law had plans of occupying his late wife’s house with another woman.
“My sister left children that are this man’s step children. The land is in my late sister’s name and he wanted it to be put in his name but I refused,
“He told me he spoke to the children and they agreed but when I asked them they denied it. I’m just looking out for my sister’s children because this man has remarried,”” Ms Mpande said.
She told the court that Mavimba continued building on the land his late wife left without her consent so that he could stay there with his new wife.
“I just want to see things shared equally and justice should prevail. I even suggested the land should be put in my late sister’s son’s name but he insisted it should be in his name,” Ms Mpande said.
The court found that there was a probate (document obtained by an executor of a deceased person’s estate) obtained by Mr Mavimba from the High Court which supersedes the order of appointment from the local court.
Ms Mpande was then revoked as an administrator.
