Online Reporter
Anotida Chonzi
A Harare man has won his case in the Civil Court after the mother of his two children sought to increase his monthly child support payments from US$85 to US$250.
The court ruled that the current maintenance amount would remain unchanged, citing Albert Mapurira’s unemployment as a key factor.
Appearing before Magistrate Talent Mutasa at the Harare Civil Court, Chenai Chitunhu argued that the US$85 she has been receiving is no longer sufficient to cover the rising costs of raising the children.
“When the US$85 order was made, our youngest daughter was not yet in school, but I enrolled her at the beginning of this year.
“I am struggling to pay her school fees on my own,” Chitunhu told the court.
Chitunhu said she works as a housemaid and earns US$60 per month, which is inadequate to cover rent, food, school fees and other essentials.
She pleaded with the court to raise the child support to US$250.
However, Mapurira opposed the request, citing his recent job loss.
He claimed he was fired from his job as a garden worker after Chitunhu, accompanied by police officers, confronted him at his workplace.
“My boss was not happy that police officers showed up at his house. Before that, I was earning US$90 a month, and even then, it was hard to meet the US$85 child support.”
With no source of income, Mapurira told the court that increasing the maintenance amount would impose an even greater burden on him.
After considering both arguments, Magistrate Mutasa ruled in Mapurira’s favour, maintaining the current monthly payment of US$85.
