adminThandeka Moyo Court Correspondent
A BULAWAYO man was on Friday left with egg on his face when he tried avoid paying maintenance by applying for a peace order against his ex-wife. This was after Magistrate Marylin Mutshina rebuked him for approaching the courts with “dirty hands” as he had defaulted in paying $325 maintenance.
Victor Mupinda has four children with Priscilla Nyemba whom he was accusing of verbal abuse, phoning regularly and visiting his workplace.
“This woman does not allow me to see and visit my children. I am always phoned and threatened by different police officers daily. She even visits my workplace to demand maintenance money and calls my new wife insulting her.
“I am begging the courts to order this woman to stop calling me or visiting my workplace and allow me to see my kids. As for maintenance she should wait for bank notifications or Ecocash when I send her the money,” said Mupinda.
In her response Nyemba told the court how Mupinda always failed to pay maintenance on time.
“I have never harassed this man in any way Your Worship to warrant a peace order. He was ordered to pay maintenance and has been paying at his own time thus I have been forced to follow him up.
“I once asked for a garnish order which was granted, but his office has not authorised that. I only need him to pay maintenance in full and on time as ordered by the court. As for letting him see the children, he harasses them whenever they visit him and his wife,” she said.
In his defence, Mupinda said he was a truck driver thus he could not stick to the maintenance order.
“I am truck driver and I get my salary on different dates, there is no guarantee that I can pay maintenance by every month-end. This woman should patiently wait for the money and stop using police officers to harass me or visit my workplace to claim the money,” he said.
Magistrate Mutshina dismissed Mupinda’s peace order application saying the two’s problem was to do with payment of maintenance money.
“You approached this court with dirty hands because it is clear you have been failing to pay maintenance on time. I therefore advise you to pay maintenance in full, on time and stop trying to secure a peace order,” she said.
Online Reporter