A man from Madumabisa in Hwange had the last laugh yesterday after a magistrate overturned a maintenance order where he was compelled to maintain his married 16-year-old daughter.
While parents have an obligation to take care of their children, legally the maintenance is binding until a child turns 18 or becomes self-sufficient, whichever comes first.
Richard Mabeke, 45, had been dragged to the Maintenance Court in Victoria Falls by his former wife Stella Macheke, 50, who resides in Chinotimba suburb, for failure to pay maintenance for the couple's 16-year-old daughter.
Magistrate Rangarirai Gakanje was told that Mabeke was last year ordered to pay $180 per month for the upkeep of his daughter who was still in school and now owed $720 after failing to pay.
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| Maintenance for married daughter cancelled |
"I stopped paying because she phoned me saying our daughter had eloped with a man," said Mabeke.
Macheke who was also in court confirmed to the magistrate that she had phoned her former husband telling him his daughter was now co-habiting with a man.
"It's true that I phoned him but the boyfriend has dumped her. The maintenance was for her school fees because she was still in school," said Macheke.
Gakanje said: "The maintenance order states that he should pay maintenance until the child turns 18 or becomes self-sufficient so he can't pay for a child who has eloped."
Mabeke will not pay the $720.
Prosecuting, Listen Nare had said that Mabeke was ordered to pay $180 per month last year but stopped paying in December and the arrears accumulated.
Meanwhile, an official from the Ministry of Youth, Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment, Mfakazi Mathe appeared before the same court for failure to pay maintenance.
Mathe, 36, stationed in Hwange, owes $600 in arrears after being ordered in 2014 to pay $160 per month for the upkeep of his child with Nothando Gumbo, 33, of Chinotimba.
The court heard that since last year Mathe would either not deposit anything into his ex-wife's bank account or underpay.
Source: Chronicle
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