‘Wedding of the millennium’ ends in divorce

THE marriage of Fisheries and Marine Resources Minister Dr Abraham Iyambo, which started on a controversial note with a lavish wedding ceremony at the coast almost seven years ago, ended in divorce in the High Court in Windhoek yesterday.

A final divorce order dissolving the 45-year-old Minister’s marriage to his now former wife, Frieda Nashandi Iyambo, who is 11 years his junior, was given by Acting Judge Reinhard Toetemeyer in the High Court yesterday. No children were born from their marriage.The couple was married at Walvis Bay on May 29 1999, and celebrated their marital union with a wedding reception that went on to spark controversy and accusations of a conflict of interests when it emerged that several fishing companies had been approached to provide sponsorships to enable the reception to be hosted on a grand scale.One of the guests at the wedding who had been thoroughly impressed by the wedding celebration, described it as Namibia’s “wedding of the millennium”, it was reported at the time.Cracks however soon started showing in the marriage, the divorce papers before the High Court indicate.According to Minister Iyambo, who instituted the divorce proceedings against his wife, she first deserted their common bedroom in June 2000, but then returned again the next month.He also claimed that she was however occupying herself with activities with which he “cannot identify himself with”, that “(t)he parties cannot communicate meaningfully anymore”, and that as a result of her alleged behaviour, “continuous cohabitation with (Mrs Iyambo) has become intolerable and insupportable”.Mrs Iyambo initially opposed the divorce suit, but in terms of a settlement agreement that was concluded at the end of November last year, agreed to drop that opposition and let the marriage be dissolved.In terms of the settlement, which has also been filed with the High Court, the Minister agreed to abandon half of a claim against Mrs Iyambo in which he was asking for a court order that would have compelled her to pay him N$150 000 to reimburse him for money that he paid to a bank to cover a loan that she was unable to repay.In its place, he agreed to pay her N$75 000 in respect of any and all proprietary claims which she may have against him.That payment must be made within seven days from the granting of their final divorce order.Mrs Iyambo in turn agreed to waive all claims against her ex-husband for maintenance payments to herself.In March last year, she succeeded in getting a High Court order in terms of which he had to pay her maintenance of N$4 000 a month while divorce proceedings between them remained pending.According to the settlement agreement that they have reached, those payments are to stop with the handing down of the final order of divorce.They also agreed that Mrs Iyambo and her family members who are staying with her in the Minister’s Hochland Park home in Windhoek, will vacate the house within two weeks after she had received the payment of N$75 000 from the Minister.Mrs Iyambo will be allowed to take a load of furniture and household items with her, the former couple further agreed.Among the items she will be allowed to take with her, are a queen size bed from the main bedroom in the house, another queen size bed from Mrs Iyambo’s bedroom, a television set, hi-fi, leather couch and two mirrors also from the main bedroom, and a list of other household items that fills about three typed pages.”All wedding gifts” will also be kept by Mrs Iyambo, and she will be entitled to take “all pictures, paintings and frameworks in the common home” with her when she takes her leave, the agreement further states.She will also get to keep all plastic plants, plant pots, decorations, accessories, loose mats and cushions in the house – and may even take a set of bathroom curtains with her, according to the settlement agreement.Carpets, curtains and fixtures listed as Government property are off limits, though.Mrs Iyambo will not be entitled to take these, too, the agreement says.No children were born from their marriage.The couple was married at Walvis Bay on May 29 1999, and celebrated their marital union with a wedding reception that went on to spark controversy and accusations of a conflict of interests when it emerged that several fishing companies had been approached to provide sponsorships to enable the reception to be hosted on a grand scale.One of the guests at the wedding who had been thoroughly impressed by the wedding celebration, described it as Namibia’s “wedding of the millennium”, it was reported at the time.Cracks however soon started showing in the marriage, the divorce papers before the High Court indicate.According to Minister Iyambo, who instituted the divorce proceedings against his wife, she first deserted their common bedroom in June 2000, but then returned again the next month.He also claimed that she was however occupying herself with activities with which he “cannot identify himself with”, that “(t)he parties cannot communicate meaningfully anymore”, and that as a result of her alleged behaviour, “continuous cohabitation with (Mrs Iyambo) has become intolerable and insupportable”.Mrs Iyambo initially opposed the divorce suit, but in terms of a settlement agreement that was concluded at the end of November last year, agreed to drop that opposition and let the marriage be dissolved.In terms of the settlement, which has also been filed with the High Court, the Minister agreed to abandon half of a claim against Mrs Iyambo in which he was asking for a court order that would have compelled her to pay him N$150 000 to reimburse him for money that he paid to a bank to cover a loan that she was unable to repay.In its place, he agreed to pay her N$75 000 in respect of any and all proprietary claims which she may have against him.That payment must be made within seven days from the granting of their final divorce order.Mrs Iyambo in turn agreed to waive all claims against her ex-husband for maintenance payments to herself.In March last year, she succeeded in getting a High Court order in terms of which he had to pay her maintenance of N$4 000 a month while divorce proceedings between them remained pending.According to the settlement agreement that they have reached, those payments are to stop with the handing down of the final order of divorce.They also agreed that Mrs Iyambo and her family members who are staying with her in the Minister’s Hochland Park home in Windhoek, will vacate the house within two weeks after she had received the payment of N$75 000 from the Minister.Mrs Iyambo will be allowed to take a load of furniture and household items with her, the former couple further agreed.Among the items she will be allowed to take with her, are a queen size bed from the main bedroom in the house, another queen size bed from Mrs Iyambo’s bedroom, a television set, hi-fi, leather couch and two mirrors also from the main bedroom, and a list of other household items that fills about three typed pages.”All wedding gifts” will also be kept by Mrs Iyambo, and she will be entitled to take “all pictures, paintings and frameworks in the common home” with her when she takes her leave, the agreement further states.She will also get to keep all plastic plants, plant pots, decorations, accessories, loose mats and cushions in the house – and may even take a set of bathroom curtains with her, according to the settlement agreement.Carpets, curtains and fixtures listed as Government property are off limits, though.Mrs Iyambo will not be entitled to take these, too, the agreement says.