Paternity fraud: The tough reality men must face

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Many men and children are left stuck in the legal rut, as courts require that DNA tests be conducted in cases where a man would have raised doubts.

The man is given six months to undergo testing during which period he is ordered to pay interim monthly maintenance.

If the tests are negative, the court cancels the maintenance order.

This was at play three weeks ago when a Bulawayo Maintenance Court saved one Bekithemba Maphosa who had been living a lie, tricked by his estranged wife Sithokozile Maphosa, into supporting another mana��s child for 17 years.

He was exonerated by the tests conducted by the National Blood Services Zimbabwe in conjunction with Unistel Medical Laboratories, Cape Town in South Africa.

His case is not an isolated one, there are more men taking care of other peoplea��s children because many dona��t demand or cannot afford paternity tests.

Late last year, about 31 percent of paternity tests done at the National University of Science and Technology (Nust)a��s DNA testing facility came out negative, thereby, exposing some women as cheats.

Ita��s clear from the above cases that where a man raises doubt on having fathered a child, DNA tests can be a game-changer in that situation. It is also apparent that paternity fraud is a tough reality that men must be prepared to face.

DNA testing can determine whether or not a particular man is the biological father of a child. This procedure involves collecting and examining the DNA of a small sample of bodily fluid or tissue from a child and the potential father. DNA is the unique genetic a�?fingerprinta�? that makes up a persona��s genes and chromosomes.

As the nation experiences an unprecedented increase in unwed motherhood where more men are finding themselves named as a�?fathers,a�? for purposes of child support, simply because of their ability or because of failure to raise money for paternity tests, then the setting up of Nusta��s DNA testing facility is a blessing.

Nusta��s Applied Genetic Testing Centre (AGTC) is offering affordable DNA testing services starting at $100.

A full paternity test a�� alleged father, mother and child a�� costs $300, motherless paternity $200, all other relationship testing $100. Forensic testing for toothbrush, blood, hair, fresh blood, hair, semen and human remains costs$300.

And the tests have a two-week turnaround time. This is so because it costs about $600 to send samples for DNA testing in neighbouring South Africa.

Speaking recently to our sister paper the Chronicle, Nusta��s AGTC director Mr Zephania Dhlamini bemoaned the high cost of conducting DNA tests in South Africa saying while other courts in the country were referring disputes to the centre, people in Bulawayo were still being referred to that neighbouring country.

He said this is despite the successful registration of the Nust DNA centre.

a�?We have received a number of referral cases from other courts in the country and we have assisted them but the Bulawayo Maintenance Court is still referring paternity disputes to South Africa, where people part with more than $900 for the tests.

a�?The paternity tests that we have handled involving Bulawayo people are all individual cases with no referrals. This centre was established to help people solve their disputes and this is a sought after service. It is therefore sad when people are forced to spend more on the same service that we offer at a much lower fee,a�? said Mr Dhlamini.

a�?Wea��re using internationally validated methods and the DNA equipment wea��re using is found at any DNA lab in the world. The members of staff have also been adequately trained to do theirA� work efficiently. Our lab and the staff are registered under the Medical Laboratory and clinical scientist council of Zimbabwe which regulates our ethical involvement in DNA testing,a�? said Mr Dhlamini.

Men who spoke to B-Metro welcomed Nusta��s DNA testing centre.

a�?Men who doubt they are the biological father of their child no longer need to rely on DNA tests to be conducted outside the country to allay their fears. They can now do so locally at a lesser cost unlike in the previous years where one was instructed to go to Harare to have the blood samples taken so that they can be sent to South Africa. Thanks to Nusta��s DNA testing centre,a�? said Innocent Mpofu.

Nusta��s DNA centre is as good as any other DNA laboratory in the world, with internationally recognised standards.

a�?This is a welcome development for all those men who have in the past struggled to escape the burden of financial responsibility. The availability of local capacity in DNA technology implies a reduction of sending samples outside the country for DNA testing. It means all along we have been consciously or unconsciously helping other countries create employment and grow their economies,a�? said Masimba Chivasa.

A legal expert Nxumalo Mguni said when a woman approaches the civil court claiming maintenance; it is up to the man to prove that he is not responsible.

a�?The court grants maintenance when a woman files a claim against a man. It is up to the man to prove that he is not responsible through paternity tests. Unless the tests prove otherwise, the man would be obliged to pay maintenance,a�? he said.

Mguni said the prevalence of paternity fraud is higher among members of lower socio-economic groups, young parents and first-time pregnancies.

a�?Consequently, women are often the first to know that the father isna��t the father and would not tell a man that the child is not his,a�? he said.