South African actress and media personality Denise Zimba has once again opened up about the emotional turmoil she’s facing after losing custody of her two daughters to her German ex-husband, Jakob Schlichtig.
This comes after a ruling by the Johannesburg High Court, which granted Schlichtig full custody and permitted him to take the children aged five and 19 months back to Germany. The decision was based on the Hague Convention, with the court concluding that removing the children from their father would cause them significant emotional harm.
While this isn’t the first time Zimba has spoken publicly about the matter, her most recent post on X (formerly Twitter) has reignited public concern and sympathy. In the post, she shared a photo of her daughters and wrote:
> “Two weeks no word from you… I’ve had some of the worst days. I wish I made better choices for you. I wish I was more aware of the protection I needed to ensure for you. I wish I could fix this. I can’t even speak to you.”
Zimba has consistently used her platform to voice her pain and frustrations throughout the ongoing legal battle. Her recent post, however, reflects the deepening emotional impact of being separated from her children, especially with no communication for weeks.
The custody battle began after Zimba returned to South Africa with the children in 2022, following their move to Germany. Schlichtig filed a legal case claiming the children were unlawfully retained in South Africa, and the court eventually ruled in his favor.
Zimba has also criticized the legal system, expressing disillusionment that even with women in key positions such as the judge and her ex-husband’s lawyer her perspective as a mother was not given the weight she felt it deserved.
The case has sparked public outcry and debate about the rights of mothers in international custody disputes. Advocacy group Women For Change condemned the ruling, arguing that it failed to protect the emotional well-being of the children and ignored the trauma of separating them from their primary caregiver.
Though devastated, Zimba continues to be vocal about her experience, bringing attention to the challenges faced by many parents in similar cross-border custody battles.
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