A British national, Nigel Paul Byrne is seeking US$3 000 monthly maintenance from his estranged Zimbabwean spouse, Sandra Byrne, saying that he has fallen on hard times.

Nigel alleges that it was Sandra’s duty to take care of him at law.

Newsday reports that the couple legally married under British law, the Marriage Act 1949 in 2007, but relocated to Zimbabwe where they then wedded in 2011 under the Marriages Act (Chapter 5:11).

Nigel submitted that the two registered a company, Bio Express Labs (Pvt) Ltd under his wife’s name. He claimed his wife told him that as a foreigner, he could not register a company locally.

He said he used his income from engineering work to fund the company at its formation, and that he worked as its chief executive.

In his application for maintenance, which was filed at the Harare Magistrates Court yesterday, Nigel submitted that he could no longer afford the cost of living, and was being denied access to their matrimonial home and company records.

He is seeking US$1 300 for accommodation, US$500 in rates, electricity (US$100), food (US$200), maid (US$120), medical expenses (US$400), fuel (US$100), clothing (US$150) and US$130 for water bills.