adminPlaxcedes Hove Court Reporter
A POLICE officer fled his matrimonial home after his second wife claimed maintenance for the upkeep of their two children.
Murwira Mdzikwa of Ross Camp on Friday appeared before a Bulawayo magistrate after his second wife Ellen Ndlovu from Tshabalala dragged him to court for maintenance of their two children.
“On March 31 he received the news that I had applied for maintenance, this did not go down well with him so he left me stranded for his first wife,” she said.
Ndlovu accused her husband of threatening her so that he would not maintain her anymore.
“He said he was not in a position to take care of the children because I had dragged him to court. In fact I had taken the matter to court because he was now neglecting me and his children and it got worse when I reported the matter,” she said.
Ndlovu demanded $200 for the upkeep of their children.
She said her husband tricked her into marriage after claiming that he was not married.
“He told me that he was not married so I agreed to everything that he promised me only to discover that he had a wife and four children. He lied to me now I am his second wife,” Ndlovu said.
In his defence Mdzikwa refuted his wife’s claims saying that he lived with Ndlovu.
“I stay with her because she is my second wife, I did not abandon her,” he said.
Mdzikwa said he could not afford to pay $200 for maintenance because he had four children to take care of.
“I cannot afford to pay that amount because I have another family. She should be reasonable and understand that I have four children who also deserve to be taken care of,” he said.
Magistrate Victor Mpofu ordered Mdzikwa to take responsibility for his children.
“Why do you keep having more children when you know that you can’t afford to take care of them. You should pay $110 for the upkeep of your children starting this month end,” he said.
Online Reporter