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Tendai Gukutikwa
Weekender Correspondent
A MAKONI man of the cloth, Reverend Charles Hlabiswana and his estranged wife, Tafadzwa Hlabiswana, are embroiled in a nasty maintenance wrangle involving their two children.
The couple appeared at Mutare Civil Court last week on Thursday.
Tafadzwa described Rev Hlabiswana as a negligent father who has not made any efforts to review his children’s maintenance upwards from the $5 000 he has been paying.
She said $40 000 will be able to cater for the two children’s food and school fees.
“He completely ignores the welfare of his children,” she said, adding that she has gathered through the grapevine that Rev Hlabisanwa’s salary was recently reviewed.
“He also has a house which he rents out and he gets a lot of money from there. He is staying in a house allocated to him by his church. Those rentals and his raised salary should be used to take care of his children,” said Tafadzwa.
Tafadzwa also begged the court to order the man of cloth to consistently pay school fees for his children.
In his defence, Rev Hlabiswana said Tafadzwa left him for another man.
“It pains my heart to see my kids being raised in this manner. After abandoning the kids and me, she later came back and grabbed them. She is now staying with another man, but I still want my kids back because they are suffering at the hands of this woman,” said Rev Hlabiswana.
He offered to pay $7 000 every month, saying he is getting a paltry salary from the church.
“I only get $2 000 as my monthly salary, and I cannot afford to add more to the amount I have offered. I use the money I collect as rentals from my house to pay for university fees for my other child as well as school fees for the other one. I have two other children besides the ones I have with her,” said Rev Hlabiswana.
He begged the court to instruct Tafadzwa to enrol the children at public schools.
“I can afford the fees being charged at Government schools. She should let the children live a life that we can afford as their parents and not let them fake it,” he said.
Rev Hlabiswana produced his pay slip which stated that he earns $2 000 monthly.
As a result, Tafadzwa agreed to his $7 000 offer.
“I do not think he would lie to this court that he still gets $2 000 and that his salary has not been reviewed. I accept his offer. He should review this money when he gets a salary increment,” said Tafadzwa.
By consent, Mr Chipato varied the maintenance upwards to $7 000.
Mr Chipato also ordered the couple to contribute equally to the children’s school fees.
Online Reporter