Politician Nicholas Dausi of the opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) is embroiled in an acrimonious property sharing duel with his wife, Veronica Nyirenda, from whom he has been separated for the past 5 years over irreconcilable differences of his promiscuity and ill-treatment of his spouse.
The protracted divorce and the property sharing dispute is now before the Mzuzu High Court following an appeal by Dausi after the couple failed to agree with the ruling of a lower court.
Veronica is seeking an order compelling the Mwanza Central legislator to cede to her shares in family’s estate comprising five houses, nine vehicles and 105 heads of cattle.
Principal Resident Magistrate Court awarded Nyirenda four vehicles out of 9, two houses out of the five and 30.
Veronica is also seeking access to her children while agreeing that they remain under the custody of their father. She claims that when she got married to Dausi in 2005 he had nothing and was not employed. She insists that everything they have acquired between 2005 to 2016 was a joint effort.
The parliamentarian has not agreed to his estranged wife’s assertions arguing that it is not true that most of the properties were acquired between the said period.
He insists that Veronica left with a number of properties already and does not deserve any share in the remaining possessions.
She is also asking that apart from assets such as houses and vehicles, Dausi should give her maintenance for her to provide food to the children whenever they visit her house. She says her current job as a shop attendant in Mzuzu earns her very little as such she cannot afford to take care of children.
During the court appearances, in her evidence, Veronica claimed her marriage with Dausi was strained without prospects for restoration of normal marriage.
Besides being a Member of Parliament, Nicholas Dausi served in various top positions under Bingu and Peter Mutharika regimes. He was appointed in the cabinet in several portfolios and later on as Director at National Intelligence Bureau.