Harare man offers US$10 maintenance
A Harare man yesterday left the court shocked after he said he would pay US$10 monthly maintenance towards the upkeep of his child.
Kamuto Kowo said this at the Harare civil courts where he was brought by his former girlfriend Auxillia Dewu who was claiming US$160 for the upkeep of the minor child.
“I am unemployed at the moment and I am offering US$10 every month because I survive on part-time jobs where I realise US$5 every two days. I spend most of the money I earn on food and I have another wife with whom I have four children,” Kowo said.
Kowo further told the court that he used to be a vendor and has since started working in the construction industry where he is paid after digging foundations for houses.
Earlier on Dewu said she deserved to get the US$160 because he has one child with another woman.
“He has one child and not four children and at the moment he does not work. I last met him when he was a vendor.
“He must pay something for his child and I have been taking care of him alone for a long time and he has to acknowledge that,” she said.
After hearing the arguments from both parties, magistrate Mr Milton Serima granted the application by Dewu but reduced the amount sought to US$40.
The court also ordered Kowo to start paying the maintenance end of thiss month. Mr Serima also advised Kowo to work hard to raise the maintenance fees.
Meanwhile a Harare woman yesterday took her live-in boyfriend of six years to court claiming US$3 000 lump sum maintenance fees for their minor child.
Rachel Zivanai approached the civil courts demanding the huge amount from Trymore Rupiya who has since retired from employment.
“I want US$3 000 from this man because he got his pension and was employed at Parirenyatwa Hospital. He got US$12 000 and the US$3000 will go towards the upkeep of the child we sired,” Zivanai told the presiding magistrate Mr Milton Serima.
“I never applied for maintenance before and he wants to relocate to his rural homestead. I cannot relocate with him because I work here in Harare meaning we cannot stay together at his rural homestead.”
She added: “I love my job and I haven’t been to his rural areas since we started staying together six years ago. He has to introduce me to his relatives because he took all his property and left mine behind.”
Zivanai further told the court that Rupiya was in the habit of not giving her money while staying together before blaming his children of telling him what to do with the money.
In his counter-argument, Rupiya said he could not give her the money but pay US$30 as monthly maintenance fees.
“We used to stay together and she refused to relocate with me after I said I cannot afford urban life. I can pay US$40 every month.
“I can take care of her and not give her the money because she has four other children from her previous marriage and I think that is where she wants to use my money,” he said.
He said he was not staying with his other children whom Zivanai accused of influencing his decision making process.
Mr Serima postponed the matter to November 25 for ruling. The Herald
