MASERU — A Mauritian woman is suing a Mosotho woman for having an adulterous affair with her husband.
Anita Fiard is seeking damages of M500 000 from Lianano Mapetla for the suffering she said she experienced when Mapetla had a five-year adulterous affair with her husband.
Fiard’s husband, Gaeta Fiard, died in August last year.
Fiard launched the case in 2007 claiming that she had suffered emotional distress since Mapetla started having an affair with her husband in 2004.
In the court papers Fiard says she was subjected to embarrassment and humiliation by the adulterous relationship between her husband and Mapetla.
She also claims that she “lost comfort” from her husband as a result of the relationship.
“As a result of the adultery plaintiff has suffered damages namely contumelia (embarrassment and humiliation) in the amount of M250 000,” read the court papers.
She is demanding a further M250 000 for the “loss of comfort, society and services of her spouse”.
In her affidavit Fiard says the adulterous relationship between her husband and Mapetla started in 2004 when her son and Mapetla’s son were attending school at Tiny Tots crèche in Maseru.
“Lianano knows my family in that her son and my son attended the same school at Tiny Tots (in 2004),” she says.
“My husband worked at the prime minister’s office whereat Lianano would go at his office.”
She says her husband and Mapetla used to spend time together on weekends.
“They went out every weekend and this affair grew from January 2006, but whenever I confronted my husband about it he would beat me up.”
Fiard says as a result of the affair she left her husband in October 2006 and went to her maternal home in Mauritius.
“After I came back home the affair continued to exist.”
She further says that some time later she approached the police’s Children and Gender Protection Unit (CGPU) in an attempt to end the adulterous relationship.
“I went to CGPU and Lianano was called. She admitted everything about her affair with my husband.
“She also averred that my husband bought her furniture, bought her Nandos for two years and I even saw them at Nandos in 2006 together having lunch.”
“We were referred to a counsellor by CGPU but this affair never ended,” Fiard adds.
She also claimed that her husband used to “commit adultery” with his mistress at Lesotho Sun and ‘Melesi Lodge in Thaba-Bosiu.
However, Mapetla denies Fiard’s allegations.
In the court papers Mapetla says the allegations are meant to tarnish her good reputation.
“I confirm that I am the defendant and I defend the above matter on the grounds that the allegations against me are scandalous and insulting on my person as a spinster (single woman),” Mapetla says in her answering affidavit.
“I deny the allegations in the declaration suggesting that I ever had an adulterous relationship with the plaintiff’s husband.
“I vehemently reject all the allegations that I committed adultery with plaintiff’s husband at Lesotho Sun and ‘Melesi Lodge or any other place for that matter,” Mapetla says.
Instead she says her relationship with Fiard’s husband was purely business-related.
“The only relationship I had with plaintiff’s husband is a business relationship.
“I admit that we had various meetings with him and sometimes these meetings would be held at the alleged places and many other places which plaintiff is aware of.”
Mapetla also denies having admitted the affair to the police.
“I have not admitted any adultery to plaintiff,” she said.
The case is expected to proceed in the High Court next month before Justice Semapo Peete.
