HARARE – Vice President Kembo Mohadi’s estranged wife Tambudzani has been ordered by the courts to stop sending her husband threatening messages.

Mohadi was granted a protection order against his politician wife by a Harare Civil Court magistrate, but details have been kept confidential.

Tambudzani and her children were also barred from selling the couple’s matrimonial property before the finalisation of their divorce case by the High Court.

Mohadi’s lawyer, Norman Mugiya, said the ex-parte application for a protection order filed by the VP on August 10 was determined by a magistrate in his chambers on Saturday afternoon.

Initially the matter had been set down to be heard in an open court at 11:15AM on Saturday, but was later moved to an undisclosed magistrate’s chambers and dealt with in the afternoon.

“I can confirm that honourable VP Mohadi is my client and the matter has been dealt with in the magistrate’s chambers,” Mugiya said.

“My client was granted the protection order in terms of the draft as we prayed for, but I am not at liberty to disclose the details of what transpired in chambers.”

He would not explain why the matter could not be heard in an open court.

“Lawyers do not ask magistrates or judges to identify themselves, but instead the opposite is true,” Mugiya said. “You can find out from the very court who the said magistrate was.”

Mohadi had asked the court to handle the case as an urgent matter, saying he feared for his life because Tambudzani had been calling on his mobile phone and threatening him.

Divorce proceedings … Mohadi’s first wife Tambudzani ordered to keep away from the Vice President

Sometime in September last year, Mohadi, who was State Security minister then, approached the High Court in Bulawayo seeking a divorce, claiming their marriage had irretrievably broken down.

The matter is still pending.

However, on August 10 Mohadi petitioned the Civil Court in Harare seeking a protection order on the basis that violence against him had escalated to an unprecedented level.

The VP said this had occurred just after Tambudzani received summons seeking divorce against her.

According to Mohadi, he married his wife sometime in 1981 and during the time they lived together before separating in 1999.

He said since then, his life had been a “living hell”.

“The respondent is a very abusive person and / or a person of a violent disposition such that I am now leaving in fear of my life.” Mohadi said in the court papers.

Mohadi has moved in with a young new mistress, Juliet Singo Mutavhatsindi. He now takes her to official engagements and she is introduced as his wife.