A businessman awaiting trial in prison for the tragic deaths of his elderly parents, a domestic worker, and the attempted murder of his wife has been ordered to pay his wife R84,000 per month in maintenance pending their divorce. The Gauteng High Court, Pretoria, ruled in favor of the wife, who argued that she required financial support to cover her living and medical expenses following the traumatic events.
The couple, married in 2012, enjoyed a comfortable lifestyle until their world was turned upside down in January last year. It is alleged that the husband committed a violent attack that claimed the lives of his parents, their domestic worker, and the wife’s biological daughter. His wife survived after being shot in the face but sustained life-altering injuries.
In her court testimony, the wife recounted the harrowing details of the incident and her subsequent struggles. She suffered a broken shoulder, extensive damage to her upper jaw, lip, palate, and tongue, and still carries a projectile lodged in her skull. Multiple reconstructive surgeries have been necessary, and her recovery continues. During her hospital stay in the trauma ICU, her life support system was reportedly tampered with twice, adding to her distress.
The wife explained that she has been forced to move to a new home due to her husband’s attempts to locate her while he remains incarcerated. Previously employed by her husband, she is now unemployed and faces slim prospects of finding work due to ongoing medical procedures, psychological trauma, and security concerns.
Her estimated monthly expenses amount to R84,000, a sum that had been partially covered by her husband’s children until the court’s intervention. The husband’s legal team argued that his imprisonment limited his access to information about his wife’s finances and made it difficult to comply with typical financial disclosure requirements.
Despite these arguments, Judge Jabulani Nyathi determined that the wife’s financial needs were justified. The husband’s company had been paying her R53,000 a month, but this was deemed insufficient given her medical and living costs. The judge rejected claims that she could return to her previous occupation, stating, “I am not persuaded that this is the case having regard to the sequelae arising from her injuries sustained in the unfortunate attack that befell her.”
Additionally, the wife requested a R350,000 contribution towards her legal expenses, which the court granted. Judge Nyathi emphasized that the wife’s financial needs were both reasonable and necessary, and the husband had not demonstrated any intent to evade his legal responsibilities.
This case underscores the complexities of divorce proceedings entangled with criminal allegations and highlights the court’s role in ensuring fair financial support for those facing extraordinary circumstances.
