Online Reporter
Alicia Kadzviti
H-Metro Reporter
A WOMAN, who earns a living by selling stationery, has successfully pleaded with the Harare Civil Court to raise the monthly maintenance amount which she has been receiving from her estranged partner.
Regedzai Mandivenga, who claims she earns US$25 a month, managed to convince magistrate Meenal Narotam that the money she was getting from her former partner, Tendai Moyo, by 50 percent.
Moyo is a security guard.
She was receiving US$40 in child support and managed to convince the magistrate to raise it to US$60. The magistrate agreed with her that a review was needed to enable her to take care of the growing child and the rising living cost of living.
Mandivenga initially wanted an upward review to US$85 for the upkeep of her 12-year-old child.
She cited escalating expenses.
She told the court that the US$40, which she was receiving from Moyo, was no longer adequate to cover basic needs such as food, rent, clothing and school requirements.
“$40 is no longer enough, my child needs food and to continue going to school,” she said.
Mandivenga said she survived on selling stationery, earning about US$25 per month, and could not meet the child’s needs without increased support from the father.
Moyo opposed the application, arguing that he could not afford to pay more than the current US$40.
He told the court that he works as a security guard and does not earn enough to sustain a higher contribution. He also told the court that he supports another family with two school-going children and a dependent wife.
“I am already struggling to pay the US$40, so where will I get more? She knows that I have another family I cater for,” he said
Magistrate Narotam said the court had to consider the best interests of the child, noting that expenses naturally increase as a child grows.
She said it was unreasonable for Moyo to continue paying the same amount for two years despite changes in the cost of living.
Moyo told the court that he did not have an updated financial statement to prove his earnings, explaining that his employer does not issue payslips.
He said the only documentation available was one submitted in 2024.
However, Mandivenga challenged his claims, accusing him of being dishonest about his income.
She told the court that they had lived together for 13 years and she believed he earned significantly more than he disclosed, alleging inconsistencies in the salary figures he had previously provided.
After hearing submissions from both parties, Magistrate Narotam ruled that an increase was warranted, stating the child’s needs and concerns over Moyo’s credibility regarding his income.
The court granted a revised maintenance order of US$60 per month.
