Woman ‘double dips’ on child upkeep

Fungai Lupande Senior Court Reporter
A Harare woman is milking two men of maintenance fees after using both to obtain two different births certificates for her nine-year-old daughter, the court heard yesterday. Stella Kwanisai (31), slightly changed the child’s name on the birth certificates, but the date and place of birth remained the same.

Her ex-husband, who is challenging his placement on remand had requested time to dig for evidence to prove that he is not the only father of the nine-year-old The man, Kenias Chizema (46) was taken to court over $3 000 maintenance arrears. The Registrar’s Office, which was requested to provide the information, said the child, Precious Chizema, was born on March 22, 2008 at Epworth Maternity Clinic by mother Stella Kwanisai and father Kenias Chizema.

“On the second birth certificate the child, Ruvimbo Precious Nyaude was born March 22, 2008 at Epworth Maternity Clinic. The mother is Stella Kwanisai and father Solver Nyaude,” read the letter.

Harare magistrate Ms Tracy Muzondo adjourned the matter to Friday. The prosecutor Hatizivo Chatikobo is alleging that in January 2013, the Harare Civil Court ruling compelled Chizema to pay $61 monthly for the upkeep of the child.

Since 2013, Chizema only paid $488 instead of a total $3 538. Through his defence lawyer Bothwell Ndhlovu, Chizema made an application before the court to suspend the operation of the maintenance order granted in 2013.

Chizema said the complainant fraudulently acquired the maintenance order. The accused also cited that there was another man who was also the father to the same child. He said Kwanisai also claimed and was receiving maintenance from that man.