Morgan Tsvangirai faces fine for mis-timing cancelled marriage

First Zimbabwe's prime minister announced that his engagement to a local businesswoman had been cancelled after 12 days , blaming it on interference by his political enemies. Now Morgan Tsvangirai has been hit with a fine for seeking to marry in the month of November which, according to tribal custom, is taboo. The penalty? Two cows, two sheep and 10 yards of cotton cloth. Marriage negotiations are forbidden during November, a period deemed "sacred" in ancient folklore by Zimbabwe's majority Shona tribe, to which Tsvangirai belongs. Many believe it will bring bad luck. The fine has been imposed by a traditional African chief, who gave Tsvangirai 30 days to pay, according to state radio. But Tsvangirai's Movement for Democratic Change, locked in a power struggle with president Robert Mugabe, says it does not recognise the chief's powers. The prime minister already paid lobola, or bride price, reportedly worth $36,000 (£23,000) and 10 cows when initiating the marriage last month to 39-year-old Locadia Karimatsenga Tembo. Just 12 days later Tsvangirai, who lost his first wife a in car crash in 2009, announced that the relationship had been irretrievably damaged after it was "hijacked" by political foes and state security agents. The 59-year-old said "marriage is now inconceivable" with Karimatsenga Tembo, sister of an MP in Mugabe's Zanu-PF party. To the surprise of many, Mugabe expressed sympathy and called for Tsvangirai to be left in peace: "He who wants many wives, one or two, it's his own choice. If one chooses his wife, why should people mind about that? It's his own choice. Now newspapers write about that and are on his case, why?" Meanwhile on Saturday, Mugabe, 87, was endorsed as Zanu-PF candidate for elections expected to be held next year. He told supporters that he would not quit as long as western nations maintained sanctions on his party.