admin . Obey Sibanda
A court was on Tuesday left tongue-tied when a teacher stormed the maintenance court with her skinny pale daughter brandishing a placard disclosing her HIV status in a bid to evoke the magistratea��s sympathy.
When they had entered the maintenance court Nontokozo Denga instructed her five-year-old daughter to wave a placard printed a�?Justice is for free, I am HIV positivea�? to draw the magistratea��s attention.
The presiding magistrate Tinashe Tashaya advised the child to put down the placard citing that she was subjected to the highest form of child abuse but, Nontokozo reacted saying there was nothing amiss about her childa��s HIV status.
She alleged that her husband, also a teacher, infected her with the virus when she was pregnant and she was tired of bearing the sick child.
She told the magistrate that her husband moved out in 2011 and had never seen the child nor fended for them yet he lives a lavish life with his mistress who is also a teacher.
a�?My two minor children are on ARVs, they need special treatment he has to maintain them. I am also positive and Ia��m his wife, therefore, entitled to spousal maintenance. He infected me so he has to maintain me,a�? charged Nontokozo.
When they left the court, Nontokozo dumped the sick child saying she could no longer take the burden while her husband enjoyed his life.
Police took the child to Tredgold police base where she spent the greater part of the day before the father came for her.
Nontokozo was initially dragged to court by her estranged husband who sought the childrena��s maintenance to be reviewed downwards and also the removal of spousal maintenance.
He cited that he could not afford maintenance of $250 from his paltry take home salary of $151.12.
He pleaded with the court to allow him to pay $50 for each child and nothing for his wife saying that he had two other children aged 22 and 17.
In 2011, the husband was ordered by the court to pay $250 per month for the upkeep of his two minor children and his wife, $50 being spousal maintenance and $100 for each child.
Tashaya remanded the matter to Friday for a ruling.
Online Reporter