Woman drags ex-lover to court for wasting her time

A frustrated 50-year-old woman, One Nono Gaolatlhe, on Thursday took her long-time ex-lover to court for breach of marriage promise after being together for 16 years. Appearing before Kgosi Gaofenngwe Bome of Kanye Customary Court, Gaolatlhe, a nurse by profession, accused 46-year-old Brian Thabo Tshweneyagae of Charleshill of wasting her time with an unfulfilled marriage promise. She told the court that he deserted her when they were about to set a date for the wedding. Gaolatlhe recounted that they met in 2005 while both had permanent partners. Around 2008, theyleft their respective partners to be together, each bringing a child into the relationship.She explained that their initial goal was to build a home, get married, and have more children. However, Brian later told her that he wanted a child first before marriage.When she eventually fell pregnant, her family informed his family. According to her, Brian's family inquired about his intentions, and he assured them that he planned to settle down and marry her. She brought witnesses from her family to support her claim, stating that they lived together for 16 years and accumulated property during that time.Gaolatlhe demanded that the property be divided and that her ex-lover compensate her with 12 cows, each worth P4,000, totalling P48,000, for the time she believed he wasted. She added that they had three children together, though two have since passed away. She is left with one child fathered by Brian. A 62-year-old great aunt of Tshweneyagae, speaking in court, said their family never promised marriage to Gaolatlhe’s family. She confirmed that a cow was paid when Gaolatlhe became pregnant the first time, but maintained that they never formally asked for her hand in marriage.She added that Brian has been fully supporting the child he has with Gaolatlhe. Over time, she said, the family asked Brian about his relationship with Gaolatlhe, and he told them he could no longer continue due to irreconcilable differences.However, she did not know much about the personal matters between them, as the relationship was private. When given the chance to speak, Brian denied wasting Gaolatlhe’s time. “Ga gona sepe sa morero kana lenyalo se nkileng sa diragala,” he said, meaning there was never a formal marriage plan.He added that he does not owe her anything and claimed he spent a lot of money on her during the relationship. He believes that part of the reason Gaolatlhe stayed with him was her interest in his accumulated property. After lengthy discussions, Kgosi Bome ruled that although the couple had been in a relationship, they maintained separate homes.Therefore, each should keep the property in their respective homes. He also stated that Gaolatlhe's request to be paid P48,000 by her ex-lover could not be granted. As the court session ended, Gaolatlhe inquired about the appeal process. She later told The Midweek Sun that she had suffered alongside a sick child she had with Brian, whom she cared for alone until the child passed away in hospital.Meanwhile, her then-partner fathered a child with another woman, with whom he is now making marriage plans. She said she feels betrayed after dedicating 16 years of her life to a man who left her behind.

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Woman drags ex-lover to court for wasting her time