Online Reporter
Takudzwa Mangrozah-Herald Reporter
A HARARE man has been ordered to pay increased maintenance for his two minor children after the court ruled that the existing amount was no longer sufficient to meet their needs.
Mercy Kamukiwa approached the court seeking an upward variation of maintenance from ZiG1 000 to US$250 per month, citing inflation and the rising cost of living.
She argued that the current contribution was inadequate and that she had been shouldering most of the children’s expenses on her own.
Kamukiwa told the court that school fees had not been paid by the father since 2022.
“I have been paying fees by myself since then. It is US$55 per term for both children,” she said.
The respondent, Tendai Hande, opposed the application, telling the court that he could only afford US$30 for both children.
He said he was a member of the Zimbabwe National Army and earned US$170 plus ZiG3 000 per month.
Hande explained that he was servicing a loan for a house he built, in which Kamukiwa currently resides, and was also paying rent for the accommodation where he now lives.
“I also have three other children, and I take care of my mother and younger sister, who both have diabetes,” he said.
However, Kamukiwa disputed his claims, arguing that he had not taken any loan to complete the house, and did not support any other dependants.
“All he does is send ZiG1 000 and does not help with school fees or medication for the children,” she said.
“From 2022 I have been quiet, and I cannot take it anymore.”
In her ruling, Magistrate Hannah Fazilahmed found that the existing maintenance was no longer adequate in light of the children’s needs and the prevailing economic conditions.
The court ordered Hande to pay US$60 and ZiG900 per month in maintenance.
The magistrate also directed that all school-related expenses be shared equally between the two parents.
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