Denise Zimba and her estranged husband Jakob Schlichtig
Denise Zimba loses legal battle to her estranged husband Jakob Schlichtig.
The marriage ended after she discovered that her Jakob had allegedly been unfaithful with a close friend of 14 years.
At the time of their separation, the former Generations actress and TV presenter made it clear that she had no regrets about leaving him.
Now, the Johannesburg High Court has ruled in favor of Schlichtig, granting him the right to take their daughters, aged five years and 19 months, back with him to Germany.
Women For Change, an organisation advocating for women’s rights and fighting against gender-based violence, has voiced its support for Zimba as she continues to fight to keep her children in South Africa.
“Denise Zimba has been relentlessly fighting to keep her two young daughters in South Africa, the only home they truly know,” the organisation stated.
It also criticised the court’s reasoning, saying, “The court filed documents and claimed that the girls would be distressed without their father but failed to acknowledge the devastating trauma it would have on the children to tear them away from their mother and their home.”
According to the organisation, Zimba, her husband, and their first daughter moved to Germany in 2022. However, after giving birth to their second child, the family returned to South Africa.
As marital conflicts persisted, Zimba felt more supported by loved ones and decided to remain in Cape Town with the children.
Initially, Schlichtig agreed and returned to Germany, but he later filed a Hague Convention case against her, arguing that she had unlawfully kept the children in South Africa.
Since then, Zimba has been in an ongoing legal battle to secure the right to raise her daughters in what she considers a safe and loving environment.
Women For Change reaffirmed its stance in support of Zimba and other mothers facing similar battles, stating that too often, these struggles are fought alone, unheard, and with heartbreaking losses.
