ZANU PF Senator Opposes ‘Small Houses’ Inheriting Deceased Estates Under New Marriages Act
ZANU PF Senator Opposes ‘Small Houses’ Inheriting Deceased Estates Under New Marriages Act – Prisca Mupfumira, the ZANU PF Senator for Mashonaland West province, argues that mistresses of married men, commonly referred to as “small houses,” should not receive estate benefits at the expense of the deceased’s spouse.
In line with the Marriages Act (Chapter 5:15) as of 2022, the recognition of ‘civil partnerships’ acknowledges unions between a man and a woman cohabiting without traditional lobola payments, entitling both parties to property rights.
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During a Senate debate led by Mashonaland West Senator Bybit Lydia Tsomondo, Mupfumira stressed that “small houses” should not automatically inherit from a deceased estate merely due to cohabitation. She stated (via The Sunday Mail):
“Sometimes, mistresses end up benefiting. It could be because the husband cohabited with a mistress for a short period, leading to such a woman gaining benefits… If he passed away while with a mistress, she ends up acquiring everything.”
The Marriages Act, enacted in May 2022 and implemented in August 2022, replaced both the Customary Marriages Act (Chapter 5:07) and the Marriage Act (Chapter 5:11).
-Afrogazette-
