A woman who claims she had to give up her car and job to become the good housewife her now estranged common-law husband wanted, is claiming R63 100 a month in maintenance from him.

According to a report on the IoL site, the woman, from Midrand, said during their union of about two years she worked her fingers to the bone in the house, during which time he gave her an allowance.

She thus became accustomed to a certain way of living.

She turned to the Gauteng High Court (Pretoria) where she claimed spousal maintenance of R63 100 pending their divorce. Included in the list of her monthly expenditure, handed to court to motivate for the maintenance, was a demand for R10 000 a month for her hair and nails and R2 500 a month for food.

She also wanted him to return the Jeep Wrangler bearing his name as the personal number plate.

The husband, on the other hand, denied he was liable for maintenance as he said he was never married to her.

He said payment of lobola had not been finalised and the customary marriage had not yet been celebrated in terms of customary law. But the woman gave the court a handwritten note from his family in which it was stated how much lobola had to be paid.

According to her, the negotiations were done and dusted. The application was postponed indefinitely.

Full report on the IoL site