adminSenior Court Reporter
A HEADMASTER at Makwandala Primary School in Dete has been dragged to the Maintenance Court by his girlfriend for the upkeep of their 13-year-old son born out of wedlock. Masiya Macheka had an extra marital affair with Esinath Ncube whom he sired a son with 13 years ago, the court heard. The boy is now in Form One and Ncube told the court she could not afford to continue taking care of him without his father’s support.
Ncube claims Macheka has never contributed anything towards the boy’s upkeep save for a few provisions he bought as preparation before the child was born.
Macheka is married to a fellow teacher at the same school and the couple has three adult children.
“This man has been uncooperative and our child is now in Form One. I have been struggling to look after him. Now he is in high school and I can no longer afford since I am also taking care of my parents,” she said.
Ncube, a supervisor at Kingdom Hotel in Victoria Falls, is demanding that Macheka pays her $320 for the upkeep of their son. Macheka said he had been married to his wife since 1988. “I was married when I had a child with her and I have other children who are going to college to look after. I was taking care of my son until in 2006 and I did not know she was struggling because she didn’t communicate,” said Macheka.
He denied ever refusing to pay maintenance and offered $30 per month saying he was paying more than $1,000 for two of his children who are doing tertiary education at Bulawayo and Gweru Polytechnic colleges.
Macheka courted the ire of his girlfriend when he suggested that she should withdraw her son from boarding school and enrol him at a day school in Victoria Falls.
Victoria Falls magistrate Sharon Rosemani ordered Macheka to pay $100 per month for the upkeep of his son with effect from the end of this month.
Online Reporter