swaziland times

Mbabane – A man who has twins reportedly used information about his twin brother to trick a pastor into marrying him.

Emmanuel Ntshalintshali allegedly showed his twin brother’s academic certificates and used his brother’s name when introducing himself to the Rev. (and school principal) Khangezile Bhembe. Emmanual’s twin brother is Elmar Ntshalintshali. As for his academic credentials, he claimed to have a PGCE (Qualified Teacher) degree. He is said to have concealed the fact that he was a secondary school dropout. In fact, these qualifications belonged to his twin brother.

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According to documents filed by Bhembe at the Mbabane Magistrates Court, the parties entered into a civil ceremony marriage with common property around May 11, 2023 at the Office of the Regional Commissioner (DC) in Manzini. Bhembe told the court that the marriage was voidable and should be annulled because the defendant (Emmanuel) fraudulently concealed and misrepresented material facts which were decisive in concluding and inducing the plaintiff (Bhembe) to enter into the alleged marriage with him and that such misrepresentation was essential to the decision to marry and the elements of the marriage.

Bhembe claimed that the accused (Emmanuel) falsely stated his name as Elmar Ntshalintshali before and during the courtship and performance of the engagement, when in fact he knew at all material times that this was the identity of his twin brother and his real name was Emmanuel. It is alleged that Emanuel knew that all the documents of his twin brother were authentic but he made them his own and altered them. She further claimed that Emanuel also lied about being a PGCE (qualified teacher) degree holder and concealed that he was a secondary school dropout.

Bhembe further stated that Emmanuel allegedly stole his twin brother’s identity and altered his academic qualifications which he knew belonged to his twin brother, Elmar. She added that due to this misrepresentation and fraud, Emanuel was eventually arrested and fired from various jobs where he had worked as a teacher. Bhembe further crucially claimed that before the marriage and during the courtship, Emmanuel allegedly lied to her that he was an ordained bishop, which was in line with her expressed preference and mandatory condition of marrying a bishop as she herself was a priest.

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Furthermore, she asserted that Emanuel was well aware that he was not a priest but just a member of society when he made such statements. Bhembe further stated that Emmanual fraudulently concealed the existence and paternity of her children from a previous relationship against her express wishes and conditions as a spiritually centered person to marry a wife who fully disclosed the identity of her children. Bhembe claimed that such misrepresentation and fraud or concealment of material facts were essential to her decision to consent to the marriage as she had clearly disclosed her preference and conditions for marrying a Christian man.

She also expressed to him her desire to have a family that was consistent with her deep religious beliefs as a priest, based on and modeled on religious values. According to Bhembe, she also made clear to Emmanuel her condition for marriage, namely that she wished to marry an academically qualified intellectual – a virtue she intended to preserve and impart to the family of her choice, including children born and raised in the marriage.

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She added that Emanuel’s alleged fraud and misrepresentation were fundamental to the marriage contract because he was not the person she married but used the stolen identity of his twin brother and “his false identity secured the children born of the marriage and the general identity of the parties as a family, including an inheritance based on a false and stolen identity.” She said that Emanuel deliberately deceived her without her knowledge and induced her to agree to the marriage, which was detrimental to her and contrary to the conditions she had clearly stated before the marriage.

As a result, she said, she found herself married not only to a non-pastor but also to an alleged identity thief and fraudster. Bhembe mentioned that the marriage should be declared void due to fraud, the fraud had invalidated her consent and therefore she chose to declare the marriage void based on all the above and that due to such major defects, the marriage could not be maintained as a legal marriage. A settlement agreement was signed by the parties to annul the marriage and this was an order of the court. Bhembe is represented by Mlungisi Khumalo of Khumalo Law Firm.