Man demands DNA test for last child
By Gibson Mhaka
When is a dad not a dad?This is not a riddle or the beginning of a feeble joke. A Bulawayo man shocked a court when he exposed his wife as a cheat by demanding to conduct DNA tests on their 18-year-old son.
Modecai Sibanda from Pumula South suburb said he suspected that the child in question was not biologically his because his wife, Sukoluhle Nkomo, whenever they had a misunderstanding would scold him saying their last born was not his.
So curious to know whether he is the biological father of their last born child, Sibanda has since sold three head of cattle to raise money for the DNA tests.
Nkomo’s alleged deceit was exposed at the Bulawayo Civil Court where she was seeking a protection order against her husband claiming he was abusing her.
“I am customarily married to Modecai Sibanda since 1992 and we have three children together, all of them are now majors. He is not financially supporting me and he sold three beasts and converted the proceeds into his own use.
“Whenever I ask about the money he turns violent and starts to verbally abuse me while accusing me of infidelity.
“He is claiming our last born is not his biological son and has been demanding that DNA tests be done. I agreed to have the tests done but he is now quiet about the issue,” said Nkomo.
In response, Sibanda refuted his wife’s abuse claims saying she was the one who was abusing him by claiming that their last born child was not his.
He went on to furnish the court with his application for the DNA tests adding that he had since paid to have them conducted.
The application reads: “This is an application for order directing respondent (Sukoluhle Nkomo) to subject her child to DNA tests for the purpose of determining whether the applicant (Modecai Sibanda) is the biological father of the child born on 31 August 2000.
“The respondent has on several occasions when we had marital disputes uttered statements to the effect that our last born child is not mine. I now have doubts in my mind that I am the child’s father.
“I wish to know with certainly that I am the father of the child before continuing with my rights and responsibility of parenthood”.
He said should it be determined that he was not the father of the child he will not continue exercising his parental rights and duties towards the child. He further said it was also in the best interest of the child to know his biological father.
When his wife insisted that he never paid for the DNA tests, the presiding magistrate Tinashe Tashaya ordered him to bring the receipts as proof that he indeed paid for the paternity tests. B-Metro.
