Nyasingu Matai vs Shabani Kasuru (PC. Civil Appeal No. 130 of 1990) [1990] TZHC 329 (26 November 1990)

··'. SEKULE ♦ J. IN THE HIGH CvUT OF T,½.N.ZANI1-1. 1-1.T 1"11/vr.NZA 1r (f>C) CIVIL h.l:'iE1!, NO. 130 vF 1990 (Appeul frvm the: --lec,i.si..1n •...)f the District CJurt of l•1us0ma· in Civil nppec.11 No.168/89. (vrigin::-il Kukir.:1ng0 f-rimary Cvurt Civil Cuse N-:). 207 /89) B2 f,.:,r 1.=: J-. MUHi-1.l"lED Esq. l?DM. ) NYJ-\SINGU 1".lidi-1.I Versus I sHi~·8hNI KM.:::iURU • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • .. • • RES!:'01-JO£NT .;.;.;;;;..;....;.;;.......,;..;.;.;,.;...;..;;..;;..;..;....;...;..;...;..,;;.,;;..;..;;...;.....,;......;;......, ___ ....;.. _ .., ...... J U D G 1-'! E N T Th respon1ent to this appeal habdn Kasuru suei th ppllQnt Nyc1si'ngu .!11:itai in the Kukir:.ingo .t?rimary C.)urt 'f0r tht~ r•::tur:1 ,;f 9 ·1L:·:·1s of ca·i:i:.h,, 3 g.)ats ani !:ihs.1?000/= this being the bri1'2. price., th,-' r:::sponJnt h21 pai1 t.) the appellant up'.m marrying her i.:iught-.:.r. The case· fi..::r th.:: respon1ent an· oli mt1n of 67 y2ars ,)f :: g,, ,•1.-:.s th::it h,2 man;iei the appellant I s- iaught,r by paying tht2 .:1f)re:m-:,nti ;;;;.:.·:1 . ~ brir-1 price. ·rtn1 that after payment of the briie price 1 h.2 t,.· ·:Jc ti·,0 bridG tc.., his h,'.)me. It ws his c0nt"'nti:.:,n h . .)WV2r th3t th bri·'h.:, th.::t is, th.,, appdla nt I s rL1ughtr stay;=i a. t his hum fur'· c.nly ab.;ut :Lur m,,nths ::m~ rc.n away f,rum th~ matrim;)nL1} homt. It is saii she went t•...: h,ar [:unt ir.i. Nw:.nza ani 1 ater t0 Dar cs Seil cJ,1m. ---:'"· ·'-;, . ,; It W,:jS al S:.) the responi..:::nt' s c ...)nti:,nti-Jn that their marri.::ige was IL.:v,:.:r cunsumi;;lte1 as the appell3nt 1 s 1aughter refuse1 to slep with him .::illc.,g-Jnly because he was an 01 iman. Tht: .respon1ent conten1.e1 that he iii not fil-= 11 v.;rce pr,x:::vL:.gs i; ,,)ricr tc. have 'l;he marriage :iissu1Ve1 befure claiming back th-.c: bric'lo fH."'iCd h2 hu1 pai i ·bec.:iuse the m::irriage wa$ nGver c·.::msum.:ttei. On thr: ot_hcr h,:ini, the appellant claimei th.:.1t he c :)Uld not pc:iy back the bri-~~ price, with..;ut th<f responien.t rturning her -:1ought(.ro i\fter 1ue c,msi iruti-.>n of the evi·ience that the par ti .s ~11-luc ,, , th,..: trial. court rule·-\ ·th;;1t the appelli:1nt return .. mly part .Jf ·i:h ... .: ;:.,ri.'!c.: price,. that is, 6 hec::ds of cattle 3 g•.)ats am. Shs.1, 000/=-. Thr,.;;e h:_,::::!s f _cattle were 1eicb,d. frvm the briie price the responient h2,~1 p::li:i after taking into accuunt· the 1urnti.::>n f the marria.ge .ani tht? amount 1f W.)rk th2 rcspon1ent ,·s· 1aughter may h.3.ve perfvrme1 at the home of rr.'"spo,·cn.t 1...tring her stay there ... This 'iecision iii not pl ease the responient an1 he appe3lec1 to th District Court of Musoma District.

--- .. ·...__ -- 2 He sems t have challngei the 1e1uctl:1g cf th-2 briie price_ • th.,. a.ppdlant I s iaughter hui .. mly .st .. ,y,;;j wi t:-1 him f:,-;: ..)0.ly n short.· .:.tni th.1t .-J.uring that perioi, ·the marrL.1ge was not c ::msum.::.tc-.1 sexual appellant I s iaughter cornpl etel y jenie-i tu h3ve L r.:-.::11::.ti-.xs ·v1ith The appellate District Court allowei his nppt:al an·i :'.)rh::r.c:1 t:rk t,.:, ref uni the -=ntire bri ie pric~ the rt:o'spo_nient h.11 pnir1 ·c .. ) Th,;! appellant is now .;1ppe.:iling t...> this C,.)Urt against this r:1.,.;cisi'__;,'~~ pcirtis appearei in p,rsun at the hearing of this appeal,. This is a r.lth•.r pathetic case ani huving se<:1n th prtioe:s whun .h::!y c1 pp2 :::ird 1)1;;;:f ore e, I am tern::) tc=d to think that the ace ount gi v':r. ·b~ thG respondent, couli possibly bP. a true uccount ?f what b;;foll th-: t"· Jm~.?:'.rio.ge. That is, th~ briie run ..:i\vay after ::inly a sh:.>rt st,3y 2t the: ;,: ... ,. It may also b,~ p0ssible th:it the marri:lg<:: my net b.:-..an consumate-1 as the rc:isp:mient c,rnb·,,s .. I d.:i · n:;:t h.:>wever 1 nteni to go i nta the merits '.Jf this suit w1ich filt::1 an-1 which is the subj,;ct matter of this i:!)p,.:o.l i.2, the bri1e price that is t.:i be refunie1. This is b,<=~'.USc-: ,,~t app2:irs to me ~he ci:-ucial issue f0r iete:;:minati.)n in this :::)p(;l, is, .-;,·· ' r'lL.th2r >r.nvt the reponint 1 s suit c.,n:::.:.1.:n:r.g the return ,f th,•.::>.i:-irc I. , price w2s tenabre b,dCJre the status ;:;f th1: marriage ha1 b.,,en deb::riT,in.::J u. Court of law. The respoMent st.::1te1 nt th12 trial th.3.t he dii n-:>t S(W th~; ;·.: ,:.:~ :,f '.;eeking th"" marriage to be -iissolve1 first b,:.:fure c:laimi!:.g th,; f ·-.::: . .L':: price bause the m:;1rrictge was not cunsumate:-J. J\1' it ·t1:,uld Courts below s12em t,..) h.:1ve accept(:!1 this situ;3ti.::.in or I can appreciat;e th.:: re:spqnient Is frustratiun anj his .1n'xL:ty -t:c his property returnci, pc.1rti c:u1;;irly i,f 1-.hat he says ab.)ut th1c1 '·, '· ..... • 1• t I nn,-1 is truu thc.1t uni er seci:i·.;n 39 of 't.he marriage ,°\ct, 19~1, u ., ., has n:)t b<::en c .,r,.sL, c: h:j owing to the w.:i .• L fuJ. · r0fusdl. ,. \ ,,J on;:2 pc1.rty tu copsurnate it, is v,.)idableo 1:3·.it the matter 1x,s n,Jc 'f i1d- h(:!r as un1er J;ction 40 of the sai-i Nacriage hct, a V.)ii:J.ble is for all purp.:;ss 1 a vali1 marriage until it is unnulh.J ., . '.·y'. u decree of t}le Co_\rt or that it r .. ~m;:dns vali1 f'..)r all purpcs::,s ;'.{.,.. 'iU2ss ani until une of the spouses ,)pts to avui1 it ani the Court ·-·~· \1ly annul-i.t....._,..; .. .see-the-e:as·e ·of 1-1.NID1.- 1)/0 SHnBl-1.N ~1 Af,T11.N f•IrENG,, .!'.;-·,..- -- -- - ·- TLR' 243.-

3 This therefore means •th-Jt E.ven if 0n(~ WdS t·.) ace.apt t:.>t.}lly th ... , rs::sp..:mient ts cl aim to the e:ffec t their m.3rriage was not e-.msurn::1ter1 :.:,wing t~, -i:hG appeliant I s 1':1ghter ~ s refusal to .ccmsumat.e it·., th-=1 pc'..rtics er-a still Validly mr-rled and will cvntinue t.l be so reg;iri~-1 Ulll0ss and until, the responient or .a.ny of the party opts to petition for its .1nnulmcnt in a Court of· law in terms of section 97( 1) '.lf the.: N:,trig ... r 1\ct, ::in1 it_,;.~ ... at tht:!.•.;n:1-of·§uch proce1.11ings annul.le1. ThJ.t·is, ortly wh,.,;;,l this marriage c.::in. l?e. sai1 to h'ave seized to exist. Hz could of C•:.>urse al so choose to have the rnarri2:19e simply dissu·l vcd in othr groun1s if he wishe1. For. the time bt:ing h.:iwi::ver, this marriage is still substisti;:ig. n:1 th2 resp0nient coul 1 not threfore in my opinion c:l,::lim to h.:1v0: his -' briie i)rice returned in these circumstances, that is, when theit" mrriuge is in law still existing ah1 subsisting. Th rspon1ent must threfore seek to have the marriage formlly unnull-21 or ,;issulve1 by a Court o'f I.,aw bef.:.i_re ho: cuul1 t"'kG up the:: issue of the bri 1 ice •. T-hls suit was tMref.:)re in my vL.:w. misc0reivd an1 misplace-I. Hn-i with, respect it wus in my :)pinion ent..:rtaine~ in error by the two 1 ow<a:r Courts. I wu1,1 an1 1o h.ereby th1.::ref,.;re set asi1e the 1ecisions ,j the f or1ers •.:.,f th1;; two lower Courts. The appal therfore succ2eis. I ·1./ however sincerely appreciate thi;:· prE:!1icam-=nts in which the respon-h;nt has foun1 himsd f ent:rngle1. · The wife has ran aw:J.y and she.: is s:::id t::> b ut large at her home place. An1 as alrea1y obsorvs:;cl th-rc is 2. pCJssibility that the marriage may in1ee1 have not be1:n c1.1nsumut<:.:d as the respon1ent c .)nten1s. In these circumstances ther-=fvre and since thcl resp0n·i.ent ha-1 attach1 or seize:1 6 hea1s of cattle fr.Jm the a.ppqJ,l;:i.nt . bs:;fc;ri; juigment in the tri31 Court,I '1irect an1 or1er that thos:'.! hcc.c1s of cottle. remain with the respon1ent until the status of the m.:.r.ri;::g.:: is ---:!ctermined 15y a Cot f law. Shvul 1 the parties ree.:.>nciL..: th· 0 n th h.:iris 0f cattle will have to be given bck to the app-=11 n·t• 'l'h•.: resp0n:1ent is however oriere1 ai prohibite1 not to 1isps;; of 'i:h .. s, h:;:a:is of cattl·e in .,any manner until this matter is final iz1• 0-ch..;;rwisa this appeal is allowe1. Ench party to bar the cvsts for ths ., JU')GE 26/11/

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