HARARE — Chombo Divorce Battle Moves to High Court Amid Dispute Over Vast Property Portfolio.
The divorce proceedings between Local Government Minister Ignatius Chombo and his estranged wife, Marian Chombo, have escalated to the High Court after the couple failed to reach an agreement on the division of a substantial matrimonial estate.
Mrs Chombo is seeking a 50 percent share of assets acquired during the marriage, a claim that has drawn widespread attention due to the scale, value and geographical spread of the properties involved. Court papers indicate that the contested estate spans residential, commercial, agricultural and mining interests, as well as vehicles and business holdings.
Among the assets listed in Mrs Chombo’s claim are 15 family vehicles — including Toyota Land Cruisers, Mercedes-Benz models, buses, trucks and double-cab pickups — along with multiple residential properties such as two houses in Glen View, two flats in Queensdale and properties in Katanga Township and Mount Pleasant Heights. The portfolio also includes numerous residential and commercial stands across the country, notably in Norton, Chinhoyi, Banket, Epworth, Chirundu, Kariba, Ruwa, Mutare, Binga, Victoria Falls, Chitungwiza and Beitbridge.
In Harare’s northern suburbs, the disputed properties include 20 stands in Crow Hill, Borrowdale, 10 stands in Glen Lorne, flats at Eastview Gardens, a unit at San Sebastian Flats in the Avenues, and houses in Greendale, Avondale, Milton Park, Mount Pleasant and Alexandra Park. Additional properties are cited in Chegutu, Norton, Bulawayo and Victoria Falls, as well as stands along Simon Mazorodze Road, in Avondale, at Beverly House, and in Mica Point, Kariba.
Beyond real estate, Mrs Chombo’s claim extends to farming equipment at New Allan Grange Farm — including tractors, combine harvesters, sprayers and engines — livestock, trucks, trailers, pigsties, chicken runs, a retail shop and a grinding mill. She is also seeking a share in ten family-linked companies, mining interests, safari lodges and properties reportedly held in South Africa.
Minister Chombo is contesting both the scale of the asset claims and a separate demand for US$2,000 in monthly maintenance. The High Court is now expected to determine how, and to what extent, the estate will be apportioned between the parties.
The case is likely to draw continued public interest, not only because of the prominence of the individuals involved but also due to the size and diversity of the assets under dispute.
