South Africans have once again rallied behind actress and television personality Denise Zimba, after she shared an emotional update from Germany, revealing that she was unable to celebrate her daughter’s birthday with her children despite travelling thousands of kilometres to see them.
Zimba, who is currently embroiled in a painful cross-border custody battle with German ex-husband, Jakob Schlichtig, took to social media over the weekend to describe what she called one of the hardest moments of her life. She wrote:
“Traveled all the way to Munich to see my girls. I have restricted access to them. Today is my daughters birthday party, and I am not allowed in the house. Opened gifts that I got them in the parking lot … and have been told that if I want to see them, it will have to be outside.”
The heartbreaking post quickly attracted thousands of reactions, with many South Africans expressing sympathy for the mother of two and saying no parent should have to experience missing such an important milestone in their children’s lives.
The latest development comes more than two years after Zimba’s highly publicised split from Schlichtig. Their marriage broke down in 2023 after Zimba publicly accused him of infidelity, alleging that he had an affair with one of her childhood friends, an accusation that thrust their private life into the spotlight. In court papers previously reported by South African media, Zimba also alleged emotional abuse, claiming she received little support while raising their children in Germany and describing how she felt isolated during the marriage.
Their custody dispute later evolved into an international legal battle under the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction after Zimba remained in South Africa with the children following what had initially been intended as a temporary family visit.
The Johannesburg High Court ultimately ruled that the girls were habitual residents of Germany and ordered that they be returned there to allow custody matters to be decided by the German courts. The court did not determine which parent should ultimately have custody but instead ruled that Germany was the appropriate jurisdiction to hear the dispute under international law.
At the time, Zimba maintained that she had not abducted her daughters, saying the decision to stay in South Africa had initially been agreed upon with Schlichtig before he later instituted legal proceedings.
Since the children returned to Germany, Zimba has regularly shared her pain at being separated from them. Sunday’s post painted another devastating picture of the limitations she now faces, saying she was unable to enter the home where her daughters live and could only hand over birthday presents in a parking lot before being told that any visit would have to take place outdoors.
Her post sparked an outpouring of support online, with many South Africans sending messages of encouragement and saying their hearts broke for the actress. Others urged her to remain strong while hoping that she and Schlichtig can eventually find a co-parenting arrangement that allows both parents to play meaningful roles in their daughters’ lives.
While the legal battle has divided public opinion, the latest images and message from Munich resonated with many who said they could not imagine a mother being unable to fully celebrate her own child’s birthday.
Cece Smith 
admin 