A late Harare man’s daughter is suing her father’s girlfriend for forging documents to illegitimately claim the estate of her deceased boyfriend, despite having spent only a few days with him before his passing.
The accused, Portia Rudo Bvekerwa, presented herself to the Master of the High Court as the legal spouse of the late Stanely Phute in a bid to inherit his estate. However, this claim has been disputed by the deceased’s daughter, who contends that Bvekerwa’s claim is fraudulent.
Dispute Over Marital Status
The main plaintiff in this case is Nyasha Lynnette, the daughter of the late Stanely Phute. Nyasha has named Bvekerwa and Tatenda Ndlovu, the executor of her father’s estate, the primary respondents in her legal filing.
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According to Nyasha’s court submission, her parents had been married since 1992 but officially divorced on July 11, 2024, under case number HCHF955/24. Tragically, her father passed away just a week later, on July 19.
Nyasha alleges that shortly after her father’s death, Bvekerwa visited the Master of the High Court, where she fraudulently registered the estate, claiming to be his widow. Nyasha recounts encountering Bvekerwa at the court offices, where Bvekerwa boldly stated that she had been married to her father since April 29, 2023.
Challenging the Legitimacy of the Marriage
In her submission, Nyasha provides further evidence to discredit Bvekerwa’s claims. She revealed that on September 11, 2024, Bvekerwa sought confirmation of her alleged customary law marriage to Phute. Since then, Bvekerwa has been actively representing herself as Phute’s widow, even going as far as filing claims with the National Social Security Authority to access his pension.
Nyasha also presented evidence to the court, including two death certificates: one allegedly falsified by Bvekerwa in collaboration with the estate executor and the original issued by the Registrar of Deaths. The discrepancies between the two documents, particularly concerning the placement of names and other critical information, have raised further doubts about the legitimacy of Bvekerwa’s claims.
Nyasha insists that Bvekerwa’s marriage to her late father never occurred and that Bvekerwa is attempting to lay claim to the estate. However, Phute was still legally married to Nyasha’s mother when Bvekerwa claims to have wed him.
Nyasha is seeking a declaratory judgment from the court to nullify the confirmation of the alleged customary law marriage between her father and Bvekerwa. She also requests that the court declare the supposed marriage null and void, preventing Bvekerwa from making further claims on the estate.
Nyasha stressed that she would suffer irreversible harm if the court did not rule in her favour and prevent Bvekerwa from illegally inheriting the estate.
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The court has yet to deliver a final decision on the matter, leaving the estate’s fate hanging in the balance.0harare
