HARARE – Bona Mugabe and her husband Simbarashe Mutsahuni Chikore own huge tracts of prime land in Zimbabwe, including 21 farms and 25 upmarket residential stands, according to a court filing.
Chikore made the revelations as he responded to his wife’s application for divorce following their March 1, 2014, fairy-tale wedding.
The properties were acquired through proceeds from mining ventures or given to the couple as “donations and or in inheritance,” the 46-year-old told the High Court.
Bona, the eldest child of the late former President Robert Mugabe and his widow, Grace, sought divorce citing her husband’s infidelity.
But the divorce has opened a window into the former first family’s staggering accumulation of wealth while millions of Zimbabweans wallowed in poverty.
The 33-year-old, who has three children with Chikore, wanted a quickie divorce in two stages – first a decision on the custody of the children and child support, and later she said the court could then revisit the issue of the couple’s assets.
She wants custody of the children aged 7, 5 and 2 and US$2,700 monthly for their upkeep.
Chikore has now countered in a court filing. He rejects his wife’s suggested path to divorce, arguing that the question of assets should be part of the conversation so that he is disentangled from Bona to avoid a scenario where they should act as business partners.
He has also told the Harare High Court that he does not believe their marriage has irretrievably broken down as claimed by Bona, insisting that the union “is capable of restoration provided they get genuine counselling and family support.”
He claimed interference from third parties and unnamed individuals pursuing personal agendas for causing their marriage’s collapse.
Chikore also suggested that he had proposed an out-of-court settlement which was “unreasonably” spurned by Bona.
Bona will insist that most of the property Chikore now claims in the divorce predates their marriage.
Chikore wants a share of the following residential properties which he says were acquired in the nine years of their marriage:
Stand 287 Helensvale of 3,497ha valued at US$314,730.
Stand 288 Helensvale of 1,4207ha valued at US$305,000.
Stand 268 Helensvale of 1,3226ha valued at US$284,000.
Stand 306 Carrick Creagh of 1,8034ha valued at US$386,500.
Stand 307 Carrick Creagh of 2,5133ha valued at US$539,000.
Stand 308 Carrick Creagh of 1,3733ha valued at US$294,000.
Stand 309 Carrick Creagh of 1,6775ha valued at US$359,464
Stand 312 Carrick Creagh of 2.3311ha valued at US$499,500
Stand 313 Carrick Creagh of 2.6676ha valued at US$571,628.
Stand 347 Carrick Creagh of 1.3733ha valued at US$294,000.
Stand 348 Carrick Creagh of 0,712ha valued at US$152,571.
Stand 349 Carrick Creagh of 1.4407ha valued at US$308,721.
Stand 99 Carrick Creagh valued at US$180,000.
Stand 61 Helensvale valued at US$4,300,000.
Stand 40 Helensvale of 8,6257ha valued at US$1,848,364.29.
The remainder of Helensvale of 73.3819ha valued at US$40,000,000.
Stand 466 Carrick Creagh called Teede Land of 54,8726 ha valued at US$11,758,414,29
Stand 27 Quorn Avenue valued at US$550,000.
Stand in Milton Park valued at US$330,000.
Lot 5 Helensvale of 2.4019 ha valued at US$514,692.86.
The Mansion 657 Dubai has an estimated value of AED 30 million (US$8,170,000).
Chikore also wants a piece of the following farms, which the couple allegedly own:
Rosam farm of 104.2335ha.
Smithfield Farm of 3280.5898ha.
Gushungo Estate/remainder of Foyle 1200ha.
Iron Mask farm 207,8205ha.
Cressy Dale 945,037ha.
Cressy Dale Lot Two 184,534ha.
Tankantara 659,98ha.
John O’Groats 669,5ha.
Lot 1 Swan dale 155,482ha.
Lot 2 Swan dale 101,84ha.
Swandale 106,361ha.
Clifford 1426ha
Vusumuzi Banket farm 3182ha
Teviotdale Kaseplan farm 310,6189ha.
Remainder of Teviotdale 186,46ha.
Buckland Estate 280ha.
Yarrow Dale Farm 2516,3358ha.
Lemon Pool 102,5766ha.
Lot B of Greater B 404,6744ha.
Benissa Farming Company 1248,8033ha.
Surtic 6385,3470ha.
Chikore further claims that before and during the marriage he acquired or was given shares or owns solely or jointly, through donations and or in inheritance, a Rolls Royce car with a value of AED 2,900,000 (US$790,000).
He says the couple has the following properties registered in both their names:
Stand 152 Lunar Road of 12.0748ha valued at US$8.5 million.
Stand Number 153 Lunar Road of 12,509ha valued at US$5.1 million.
Stand 1820 Chishawasha valued at US$50,000.
Stand 1837 Chishawasha valued at US$87,000.
Mwenewazvo/Sigaro farm of 873 hectares.
Chikore also wants a share of the vehicle fleet the couple allegedly owns:
Range Rover Autobiography $140,000
Nissan NP300 AES 7205 $10,000
Nissan NP300 AES 7177 $10,000
NP300 AES 7203 $10,000
Nissan El Grand AFM 8548 $7,000
Dodge Nitro ADI 6535 $7,000
Toyota Landcruiser AFM 8549 $27,000
Range Rover Sport AEF 5922 (accident damaged) $30,000
Range Rover Sport AEC 6243 (2009) $10,000
Toyota Landcruiser AFM8550 $25,000
Mercedes S500 AEN 0355 $12,000
Mercedes S430 ADV7053 $8,000
Bentley 101 (non-runner) $15,000
Mercedes GL 320 (non-runner) $7,000
Yamaha motorbike $6,500
Mercedes GL550 Dubai $13,000
Chikore is also claiming cash amounting to US$760,000 which he claims was being kept at their residence in a bag, before Bona removed it to an unknown place.
He also claims to have given Bona US$129,000 in proceeds from the sale of farm produce, which he wants tabled as part of assets to be considered in the settlement of the divorce.
