Online Reporter
Mathew Masinge
FORMER Dynamos captain Ocean Mushure has been neglecting his daughter for the past two years and the child has been forced to drop out of school because her mother and her relatives cannot afford to pay her fees.
The child is 12-years-old.
Mushure is a former Warriors player, who played in the FIFA World Cup qualifiers, and featured at the 2016 CHAN finals.
He had a stint in the Zambian top-flight league where he played for Lusaka Dynamos and Kabwe Warriors.
Mushure’s professional football career started in 2009 when he joined Monomotapa United.
He bore the child with Noreen Sixpense, who was his girlfriend, at a time despite Mushure being a married man.
The footballer even took Noreen and his daughter to Zambia, when he moved to play football in that country, and rented them a house while he was staying with his wife at another house.
However, their relationship soured at some point and their daughter is now a victim of that and she has dropped out of school.
She has not been going to school for the past two years.
Noreen is still stuck in Zambia where she is doing some “menial jobs” while Mushure has returned home after his contracts in that country expired.
Mushure, who turns 40 next month, was ordered to pay US$150 a month as maintenance.
But he has not paid a cent in the past 24 months and he finds himself in arrears amounting to US$3,600.
Noreen claims she has tried to engage the ex-footballer but to no avail.
“He has been dodging me for the past two years and each time I make a breakthrough after contacting him, he makes empty promises.
“I am now fed up with his lies and it’s breaking my heart that my daughter, who is supposed to be in school now, is not attending any formal education.
“When Ocean moved to Lusaka Dynamos in Zambia, he asked me and our child to move with him after he said he couldn’t afford sending us money back home.
“He stayed with his wife while we stayed at another house where he visited occasionally. When his contract ended, he moved back to Zimbabwe while I remained behind in Zambia to do menial jobs.
“That’s how I have been surviving but that’s not enough for me and the child.”
Noreen said she had to send her daughter back home to Zimbabwe where she is staying with her grandmother.
“About two years ago, I sent my daughter to stay with my mother.
“She has been on-and-off school because Ocean is not paying for her school fees or upkeep.
“My child is now failing to blend in with other school-going kids, Ocean ari kuitira mwana hutsinye, achingotaura zvekunyepa,” said Noreen.
Shanice Nyahoda, one of her relatives who is helping to take care of the child, described Mushure as an irresponsible man.
“Ocean is a liar, after I took over guardianship of the child, he promised to contribute towards her upkeep but he hasn’t been forthcoming.
“I have my own children who are still in school and I can’t afford sending her to school on my own. I can only offer her accommodation and food.
“The child is brilliant but reserved, she is growing up and already realising that she is not attending school because she knows other kids are in school when she is at home.
“Vakomana vebhora musaita zvamusingakwanise muchirega vana vachizotambura kudai,” she said.
Shanice said she was recently contacted by another woman who also claims she has a child with Mushure and the two have been planning to get the ex-footballer arrested.
“We are just waiting for Noreen to return so that she can report Ocean to the police, he thinks he is wise when the law simply demands that he pays the maintenance.
“There is another woman who is also claiming that she has a child with Ocean and he has neglected the child too,” she said.
Contacted for comment, Mushure said he does not know Noreen.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Noreen wamuri kutaura handimuzive,” he said.
However, he then admitted having sired a child with Noreen.
“Ehe ndine mwana naye asi zvaari kutaura handizvizive, akatora mwana about two to three months ago and we haven’t made any contact,” he said.
Mathew Masinge