Man sued for US$100k over adulterous affair

Nyore Madzianike-Senior Court Reporter

A HARARE is being sued for US$100 000 at the High Court after allegedly having an adulterous affair with the wife of another man.

The illicit love affair is said to have subsisted since 2019 when the woman at the centre of the suit relocated from South Africa to Zimbabwe.

After the woman arrived in Zimbabwe to stay with her in-laws, the husband remained in the neighbouring country.

Clyde Matthew Bowes is suing Gareth Lecluse of Mt Pleasant in Harare for having an adulterous love affair with his wife, Wendy Kathryn Bowes, whom he married on November 23, 2008 in Tauranga, New Zealand.

Bowes is claiming US$50 000 arising from infringement of his right to privacy, dignity and reputation.

He is also claiming another US$50 000 in loss of comfort and services of his wife as a result of the said adulterous relationship.

In the summons filed at the High Court and prepared by lawyer Mr Admire Rubaya, Bowes said his marriage to Wendy Kathryn Bowes was still legally subsisting. 

He claimed that they were blessed with two children before Lecluse started the affair with his wife.

“The defendant (Lecluse) has been involved in an adulterous relationship with the plaintiff’s spouse, Wendy Kathryn Bowes since 2019 after plaintiff (Bowes) and his wife made the decision to relocate, in circumstances where plaintiff would initially remain in South Africa whilst his wife, Wendy Kathryn Bowes, would relocate to Zimbabwe and stay at his mother’s house.

“(The) Defendant knowingly and intentionally took advantage of the plaintiff’s absence from the country, committed adultery on numerous occasions, whilst plaintiff’s wife was being housed by plaintiff’s mother, which was very embarrassing to the plaintiff,” he said.

Bowes claims that after discovering that Lecluse and his wife were having an affair, the two moved in to stay together as ‘husband and wife’.

“Upon plaintiff wife’s confessing to the adulterous relationship to the plaintiff in April 2020, defendant openly had the plaintiff’s wife live with him at his residence as if he was married to her, which acts are not only immoral, but have gravely caused to Plaintiff, serious embarrassment, infringement of the right to privacy, dignity and reputation well as loss of all comfort and services of plaintiff’s wife.

“More specifically, on various occasions and at the aforesaid place and other places unknown to the Plaintiff, the defendant and the plaintiff’s wife have committed adultery, which adultery the defendant has expressly admitted to at the aforesaid place of residence,” he said.

Bowes said Lecluse knew that Wendy Kathryn Bowes was married and that he was interfering with their marriage.

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