HARARE - Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai’s ex-lover Locardia Karimatsenga-Tembo says she is hurt, but is open to peace talks.

Scorned by the premier, Karimatsenga was left to watch as Tsvangirai opted to marry another woman Elizabeth Macheka at the weekend despite paying lobola for the wealthy businesswoman earlier on.

Karimatsenga speaks for the first time about her ordeal in today’s Daily News.

In an exclusive interview, Karimatsenga takes a dig at “playboy” Tsvangirai and says she is still pursuing her $15 000 a month maintenance bid and insists she remains the PM’s wife until he officially divorces her.

The 39-year-old, whose court application scuppered Tsvangirai’s “wedding” to Macheka, told the Daily News she is still fighting.

Karimatsenga, who was in the company of her sisters, Biata Nyamupinga  and Heather Takaendesa, said she had no problems with Tsvangirai and her family sitting down to solve the misunderstanding.

“I do not want to talk a lot about this issue until we have finished the court processes and I will talk more on my relationship with him.  A lot of things have happened,” said a tearful Karimatsenga.

Immaculately dressed, Karimatsenga broke into tears and then delegated her lawyer Jonathan Samukange to speak on her behalf.

“The Karimatsenga  family is hurt by what the PM did to her. He is the one who approached them asking to marry their daughter after he had impregnated her, which he accepted. But he is dumping her and lying to the nation that he did not marry her,” he said.

Samukange said Karimatsenga was comfortable being in a polygamous marriage, as long as Macheka acknowledged her as the senior wife.

“Locardia did not divorce and is not going to do that. She is ready to be involved in a polygamous relationship because Tsvangirai had indicated he was going to marry her in a civil marriage and this is why he asked for such a marriage through his emissaries when he married at their home last year,” he said.

“He has not given her any gupuro (divorce token) and the $1 produced by his lawyers in court on Friday was rejected by the magistrate as it is not the way it is done. There is a proper and customary way to do it, not that gimmick.

“She is very hurt and you cannot expect her to give flowers to Elizabeth and Tsvangirai. What message is the PM sending to young people? That a man can move around impregnating women, promise to marry them and then dump them later?  We are not going to lie low and let him get away with it. But my client wants this matter resolved amicably as adults rather than spend time trading insults in newspapers,” said Samukange.
 
Nyamupinga said her family was unhappy with the trading of insults between the two.

“As a family we feel that these two are adults who must resolve their issues amicably. There should be a dialogue between them, and not calling each other names. If they are going to divorce it must be done using the right channels,” queried Nyamupinga.

Apart from successfully stopping the PM’s wedding, Karimatsenga is also dragging Tsvangirai to the courts claiming $15 000 in monthly maintenance.

The maintenance case will be heard this Friday, with her lawyer Everson Samukange insisting that she is Tsvangirai’s first wife.

Karimatsenga said she did not have reservations with Tsvangirai taking a second wife, as long she is recognised as the first wife in terms of customary law.

“They must show maturity, and the two of them Tsvangirai and Locardia must resolve their differences without involving many people. I am speaking on behalf of my sister. We are not going to leave her alone without family support during this time,” said Nyamupinga, who is also the Zanu PF MP for Goromonzi West.

On Saturday, Tsvangirai who had invited foreign leaders and other socialites in the country, had to settle for a mock wedding as the courts had ruled that he was customarily married to the property broker.

Meanwhile, Tsvangirai’s lawyers have confirmed filing a Supreme Court challenge to the nullification of his marriage certificate.