Online Reporter
Danisa Masuku
FORMER Warriors and SuperSport United winger Kudakwashe Mahachi has found himself on the wrong end of a legal dribble after being dragged to court by his ex-wife Marita Ndlovu for failing to maintain their two minor children.
In a ruling delivered last Friday at the Bulawayo Magistrates’ Court, Provincial Magistrate Shepherd Mnjanja ordered Mahachi to fork out a total of US$320 per month in maintenance payments.
He will pay US$200 for the younger child, and US$120 for the older child, whose paternity he is disputing. The magistrate also ordered that Mahachi cover the costs of a DNA test to confirm or rule out his fatherhood of the second child.
Should the DNA test prove Mahachi is the biological father, the court said the maintenance amount could be increased. But if the test clears him, then the obligation to pay for that child will be scrapped altogether.
The court also ruled that Mahachi and Marita must share school fees and other education-related expenses for the children.
Marita told the court that Mahachi had not paid a single cent since 2022, forcing her to shoulder the burden alone. She had been demanding a total of US$630 per month, saying the amount would cover school fees, food, clothes, medical bills, and transport. She emphasised that one of the children is physically challenged and needs a wheelchair and monthly medical support after an injury sustained while under Mahachi’s care.
“I only earn US$50 per month from vending,” said Marita. “I can’t afford all the expenses alone, especially for a special needs child.”
In court, Mahachi’s lawyer had thrown spanners into the works, saying his client was not convinced he fathered the older child. He argued that Marita assumed Mahachi earns US$250 per month, and that under the law, both parents must contribute equally to their children’s welfare.
He offered a combined US$220 for the two children, which the court found insufficient.
“If the DNA test proves Mahachi is not the father, we expect Marita to be arrested for misleading the court,” said Mahachi’s lawyer.
However, Marita did not back off. She clapped back, saying if the results confirm Mahachi as the biological father, he must pay for defaming her name.
The drama is far from over, with the court battle now hinging on DNA results that could either clear Mahachi’s name or entangle him deeper in a child support showdown.
