Woman battles to inherit dead boyfriend's house
- Boyfriend died when wedding preparations had begun - Boyfriend had no kids, siblings want the property
An unmarried woman from Rammolai ward in Kanye, Mmaodoba Baratedi was on Friday ordered by the Kanye customary court to vacate her late lover's house.
The case was presided over by Kgosi Kgotlaetsile Sane, in which the middle aged woman, Baratedi, is fighting tooth and nail to inherit the late Gaonakgang Gaonakgang's home from his surviving siblings.
The deceased built the house with his late first wife before he met Baratedi. He had no children from the first marriage or with Baratedi and he was a headman of Arbitration for Gammangwato ward in Kanye.
Baratedi hinted before the court that she met the deceased in 2019 and planned to get married in 2022, but unfortunately her lover died before the marriage process began.
She however said their parents knew they intended to tie the knot as they once converged over the issue. This in her view qualifies her to inherit Gaonakgang's home as he had no children from the first marriage.
Representing his siblings, deceased brother Mophuting Gaonakgang had shared before the court that indeed his late brother wanted to marry Baratedi but he got sick and died before the wedding process began.
"I am the one who paid for his medication and took care of all the hospital visitation bills," Mophuting said.
In the case judgment, Baratedi was ordered to vacate the house she has been occupying since the owner passed away. She was ordered to hand over the house keys to the Kanye main Kgotla, as she was legally never married by the deceased.
The court also told Baratedi that nothing was ever done to qualify her as deceased wife, such as bogadi payment or the common law procedure of her wearing a wedding ring.
"The court is shocked to realise that the plaintiff wants to inherit the house that was built by the deceased and his late first wife," said the presiding chief.
Baratedi was told off that she was never married therefore she cannot inherit his late lover's home, instead the house was given to the deceased's brother, Mophuting Gaonakgang.
Speaking to The Midweek Sun, Baratedi said she will never give up on the matter and that she plans to appeal the judgement.
The deceased's brother, Mophuting said that there was never a wedding, therefore he is satisfied that he is to inherit his brother's house.