adminCynthia Dube, Court Reporter
A MAN from Bulawayo`s New Luveve suburb ordered his wife and their three children- including a one year old baby- to sleep in the toilet to pave a way for his girlfriend, a court heard.
Ms Rosaria Mudyanebanga told a court yesterday that her husband Christopher Garepi evicted her and the children aged one, seven and nine from the matrimonial house because he wanted to freely have sex with his girlfriend.
She told the court she walked about 15 km to the city centre and spent the night at a police station to attend court in time.
Ms Mudyanebanga was seeking an upward maintenance variation of $50 to 150 from Garepi at the court.
She said she needed the money to rent a house with the children as they could no longer stand the smell of the toilet. “Your worship, l need the money to rent a house since my husband has moved our property outside the house. Our clothes are inside the toilet, which has become our bedroom but the other stuff was thrown outside the house,” she said.
“He bought new property with his girlfriend. I also need the money to pay school fees for our children,” said Ms Mudyanebanga.
In response, Garepi who works at the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education offered $90 for the upkeep of their children.
Magistrate Mr Tinashe Tashaya asked Garepi to draw up a $90 budget for the upkeep of the three children.
“If it was you, how were you going to budget $90 towards the upkeep of three children? All of them need to pay school fees; they need food, clothes and sometimes money to go to hospital. You evicted your family from the house. That means she also needs the money to pay rent,” said Mr Tashaya.
After being silent for more than three minutes — apparently digesting the issue — Garepi capitulated to his wife’s demands.
“I will give her $150 per month. I will also give her the money to go to her rural home. I cannot stay with both of them in my house,” said Garepi.
The magistrate ordered him to pay $150 per month starting from this month end.
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