A HARARE woman was paid US$10 to enter into a marriage of convenience with a Nigerian who wanted to secure a residence permit, a senior immigration official said yesterday.
Assistant Regional Immigration officer Mr Francis Mabika said another Nigerian put a local woman on a US$80 monthly salary for entering into a marriage of convenience.
A third Nigerian man married two local women.
Mr Mabika said the trio had since been arrested and still assisting police with investigations.
Silvester Nwaozuzu allegedly paid Erina Matindike, a Harare vendor-based at the courts, US$10 to enter into a marriage of convenience.
It is alleged that sometime in 2006, Matindike was approached by Barbara Mwanakanda who informed her that someone wanted to pay for a marriage of convenience.
Mr Mabika said Mwanakanda persuaded Matindike to wed Nwaozuzu at the Harare Magistrates' Courts.
In her affidavit, Matindike stated that she committed the crime out of desperation.
"I needed money so I agreed to sign the marriage certificate," she stated.
Two days later, Matindike stated, Nwaozuzu approached her asking for her life history in the event he was quizzed by immigration officials.
Matindike further stated that a few months later Nwaozuzu opened a bank account for her after promising to deposit money for her but later deposited Z$40 000 which lost value.
Matindike only managed to buy sweets for resale from her fee.
"Since 2006 Silvester (Nwaozuzu) would give me groceries and bus fare to travel to Chiweshe every Christmas," Matindike said.
She said Nwaozuzu later bought her a refrigerator.
"I confirm that my marriage to Silvester Nwaozuzu was fake and I no longer want to go against the law," Matindike stated in her affidavit.
The facilitator Mwanakanda was, in May last year, arrested for allegedly entering into a marriage of convenience with a Nigerian man while she was already married to a Zimbabwean soldier.
Mwanakanda married the Nigerian in 2006 to help him get a Zimbabwe residence permit.
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In the second case, Jude Amaechi Eze married Felistas Dune (29) in March 2006 after the two agreed on US$30 fee.
After the "wedding" Eze reportedly started giving Dune a monthly salary of US$80 and the two were not staying together.
Eze is alleged to have even promised to buy Dune a house in Harare.
The woman was yesterday picked up for questioning at the immigration department.
Dune was reportedly influenced by her brother-in-law Lovemore Machuma to enter into the marriage of convenience with Eze.
On Tuesday, police arrested another Nigerian Hilary Uwaoma Ajaero for entering into marriages of convenience with two women - Fadzai Charity Mazuru and Greater Tariro Gwekwerere.
"Ajaero entered the country in September 2004 and wedded Fadzai Charity Mazuru (marriage certificate number 2256/04) before wedding again Greater Tariro Gwekwerere (marriage certificate number 2683/04) on October 20, 2004," he said.
According to Gwekwerere the two met in Belvedere in April 2004 and were in a relationship up until August 2008.
She said late in 2008, Ajaero phoned her while she was in Bulawayo saying he wanted her assistance with immigration issues.
"We went to his brother's shop along Robert Mugabe Road where I was made to sign some documents but I didn't know what they were for until last year in September," Gwekwerere said.
In September she heard rumours circulating that she was married and that is when she discovered that she had been duped into signing marriage certificates.
"I would like the marriage certificates to be terminated because I want to move on with my life. I never stayed with him or did anything married people do since I signed those papers," Gwekwerere said in her affidavit.
Gwekwerere said Mazuru; who is now married to another Nigerian, Gozie Nwudoh; met Ajaero along Cameroon Street in 2004.
At the time the two were attending the same church.
Mazuru said Ajaero asked her to marry him so that he would continue staying in the country.
The same year, Mazuru got married to Nwudoh and she went back to Ajaero to cancel the marriage certificate
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