Denise Zimba Loses Custody of Her Kids in High Court Ruling

• The Johannesburg High Court has ruled in favour of Denise Zimba's German ex-husband, granting him full custody of their daughters
• The ruling allows Zimba's ex-husband, Jakob Schlichting, to take the children back to Germany
• Non-profit organisation Women For Change criticised the Johannesburg High Court ruling and has shown solidarity with Denise Zimba
• Briefly News spoke with psychologist and relationship expert Penny Holburn to discuss how parents can navigate the emotional toll of losing custody of their children

Former V Entertainment presenter Denise Zimba has lost custody of her two kids after the High Court ruled in favour of her ex-husband Jakob Schlichting. The actress previously informed Mzansi that she was fighting for her kids after filing for divorce from her German husband.

Denise Zimba loses kids in High Court ruling

In a lengthy post on their X account, Women For Change shared that Denise Zimba has lost custody of her two daughters, aged 19 months and 5 years, respectively.

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The non-profit organisation explained that the Johannesburg High Court gave Zimba’s former husband full custody of their children. The ruling allows Jakob Schlichting to take the children back to Germany.

“The Johannesburg High Court ruled in favour of Denise’s estranged husband, allowing him to take their daughters, aged 19 months and 5 years, back to Germany - a country they barely know - separating them from their mother, who is their primary caregiver,” part of the post reads.

Why the Johannesburg High Court ruled in favour of Zimba's ex-husband

According to Women For Change, the Johannesburg High Court believes that separating the children from their father would leave them distressed.

"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," Women For Change explained.

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Women For Change slammed the ruling, calling it unjust and showed support for Denise Zimba.

“We stand with Denise and every mother who has had to fight - often alone, often unheard, and too often losing. We demand justice for Denise, her two daughters, and all the women silenced by a system that continues to fail them,” the non-profit organisation said.

Briefly News spoke with psychologist and relationship expert Penny Holburn to explore how parents can cope with the emotional toll of losing custody and strategies to rebuild their well-being. She explained:

"Generally speaking it is quite difficult for a parent to not have custody of their child - especially a mother. The courts don't like separating children and parents unless it is in the best interests of the child.

"If someone loses custody of the child it could be for several reasons. If the parent is not deemed a good enough parent then they maybe need to do some work on themselves. Adult children get to choose who they want to spend time with, and an adult child may want the parent in their life even if they did not have custody. So if you lost custody because of your own behaviour then work on your own behaviour."

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A timeline of Denise Zimba and Jakob Schlichting's child custody battle

In 2022, Denise, her husband, and their daughter relocated to Germany before returning to South Africa after welcoming their second child.

Their marriage crumbled shortly after their return to South Africa, and Denise Zimba decided to stay in their Cape Town home with her daughters.

According to Women For Change, Jakob Schlichting initially supported the idea and returned to Germany before he made a U-turn and filed a Hague Convention case against Denise. Jakob claimed that Denise Zimba had unlawfully retained the children.

Denise Zimba shares ex-husband cheated with her bestie

Briefly News previously reported that Denise Zimba topped the trending lists on social media after disclosing that she decided to call time on her marriage after her ex-husband cheated with her best friend.

In 2024, Zimba disclosed that she caught her husband texting another woman. A report stated that she'd caught him in a compromising act while he texted with the woman.

Source: Briefly News