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confirmed his relationship with Ms Gracia Zawi but denies this caused his marriage to collapse.

The new relationship, according to the former diplomat, started towards the end of last year and that by then, love and companionship between him and Mrs Chidyausiku had already been lost.
The new relationship only started after the couple separated.
Mr Chidyausiku, who recently returned from New York where he was serving as permanent representative to the United Nations, is reportedly staying with Ms Zawi at his farm in Concession.

Mrs Chidyausiku remained in the US were she is employed as an assistant tourism officer with the UN.
Mrs Chidyausiku is suing for divorce at the High Court through her lawyer Mr Shingi Mutumbwa of Mutumbwa and Partners on the grounds that the marriage has collapsed.

As evidence of the collapse she is accusing her husband of engaging in several adulterous relationships and that her husband subjected her to physical and emotional violence and abuse and that he had failed to treat her with love, respect and companionship.

She is accusing Ms Zawi of destroying her marriage and in the same application, is claiming adultery damages of US$35 000 from the woman.
She is also claiming US$5 000 monthly maintenance from her husband.

Mr and Mrs Chidyausiku, while agreeing that the marriage is over, have so far failed to agree on how the property they owned should be shared with disputes over the extent of the property.
Mrs Chidyausiku claims that there were eight houses in and out of Harare, a farm, two Mercedes Benz vehicles, several trucks and lorries, two companies and over 100 cattle with this property acquired while they were married.

But Mr Chidyausiku stated that there was only one house in the matrimonial estate. One was registered in the name of their son while the rest were owned by a private company in which Mr Chidyausiku held 20 percent of the shares.

Mr Chidyausiku denied owning the trucks but agreed he owned two vehicles and 60 cattle as well as the house. He held shares in the companies but did not own them.
He said the farm was leased from Government and it was State land.

Through their lawyers, Gula-Ndebele and Partners, Mr Chidyausiku and Ms Zawi have jointly filed their response to the applications.
Mr Chidyausiku denied routinely engaging in adulterous relationships, adding that he only got involved with two women as a way of escaping lack of love and companionship in the marriage.

He confirmed the existence of a relationship with Ms Zawi but denied the claims that it was the cause of the collapse of the 27-year marriage with Ms Chidyausiku.
The two dismissed the claim of US$35 000 in adultery damages saying Mrs Chidyausiku did not suffer any damages.

Mr Chidyausiku and Ms Zawi plead that their relationship started in the second half of 2010 by which time the marriage between Mr and Mrs Chidyausiku had completely broken down.
Mr Chidyausiku said he was not in a position to raise the claimed US$5 000 monthly maintenance, since he had not earned any money from the time he returned from US.

“He has not earned anything since he returned from New York and has been borrowing from the farm and two companies to sustain himself, the plaintiff and children in the US,” read the papers.
Mr Chidyausiku denied ever subjecting his wife to any form of violence or abuse, saying it was actually Mrs Chidyausiku who tormented him.

Mr and Mrs Chidyausiku lived together in several countries where they served under the foreign affairs ministry after marrying 27 years ago under the Marriages Act.
Since 1986, the couple has represented the country in America, China, Angola and Switzerland.

The marriage was blessed with three children who are now adults.
The High Court is expected to set the matter down for pre-trial conference to see if the financial and property issues can be resolved.