Denise Zimba's heartfelt confession on X: 'My children are living with the consequences of my actions'

IOL News

29-05-2025

Denise Zimba with her two girls.
Image: Instagram/ Denise Zimba
South African entertainer Denise Zimba is living every mother's worst fear of being separated from her children.
Zimba, celebrated for her electrifying presence in South Africa's entertainment industry, is now at the centre of a heartbreaking custody battle, a fight that has left her questioning her choices, her strength, and her faith.
Beyond the glitz and glamour, she's just a mother fighting to keep her children close, and her story has sparked widespread outrage and empathy.
Video Player is loading.
Play Video
Play
Unmute
Current Time
0:00
/
Duration
-:-
Loaded :
0%
Stream Type LIVE
Seek to live, currently behind live
LIVE
Remaining Time
-
0:00
This is a modal window.
Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window.
Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan
Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan
Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan
Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque
Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps
Reset
restore all settings to the default values Done
Close Modal Dialog
End of dialog window.
Advertisement
Next
Stay
Close ✕
Haven't spoken to my children in almost two weeks… my biggest regret is choosing wrong and having my children live with the consequences of my actions … 😪 pic.twitter.com/WjtPQaORWq — Denise Zimba (@MissDeniseZimba) May 28, 2025
In an emotional thread on X (formerly Twitter), Zimba revealed she hasn't spoken to her daughters in nearly two weeks, sparking public outcry and raising urgent questions about the rights of mothers in international custody cases.
In happier times, South African media personality Denise Zimba with her husband, Jakob Schlichtig. Picture: X.
Image: Picture: X
'My biggest regret is choosing wrong, and having my children live with the consequences of my actions…' Zimba wrote.
Besides her husband's infertility, court documents revealed that Zimba suffered greatly from his lack of support in raising their kids.
Emotional thread on X (formerly Twitter), Zimba revealed she hasn't spoken to her daughters in nearly two weeks
Image: Denise Zimba/X
This gut-wrenching message offers a glimpse into the emotional turmoil Zimba is experiencing as she navigates the fallout of her marriage to Schlichtig, whom she wed in April 2022.
She added, "Haven't spoken to my children in almost two weeks... my biggest regret is choosing wrong and having my children live with the consequences of my actions.'
The 36-year-old actress, TV presenter, and mother of two has been open about her ongoing custody battle with her estranged German husband, Jakob Schlichtig, after the Johannesburg High Court permitted him to take their children back to Germany earlier this year.
A move that blindsided many of her and ignited debate around parental rights, justice, and maternal mental health.
However, their relationship deteriorated due to alleged infidelity and neglect. According to "Sunday World", she left the marriage after enduring repeated betrayals and carrying the burden of parenthood alone.
Renowned media personality has recently celebrated her 36th birthday.
Image: Picture: X.
The ruling has led to her daughters living thousands of kilometres away, without daily access to their mother, a reality Zimba says has deeply affected their well-being.
'SA courts handed my SA citizen babies 2 Germany without their mother after I endured abuse. 2 months in without being 2getha … Can the organisation my estranged husband works 4 kindly assist, since u support such injustice, especially towards mothers & children, Africans at that!'
She adds, 'No one cares about the mother's sacrifice, her life-threatening experiences. His lawyer was female. The judge was female. Even the doctor and his sister, all women, helped him take my babies away from me,' she posted in a now-viral thread.
Zimba's story has struck a nerve with many South African parents, especially mothers, who understand the invisible labour and sacrifices women make often without recognition.
The heartbreak isn't just hers; it's a mirror for thousands of women whose contributions are too often erased in legal systems that prioritise procedure over the emotional and physical bonds between mother and child.