Reckless Father Fails to Block Mother’s Bid to Car...

Reckless Father Fails to Block Mother’s Bid to Care for Injured Child

Witness Runodada ZimNpw reporter

A Harare man’s attempt to block his ex-wife from returning to their shared home to care for their children has backfired, after a magistrate refused to grant him a peace order.

Precious Mako appeared before the magistrate seeking legal protection from his ex-wife, Selina Kembo, accusing her of trying to evict a tenant from their jointly owned home.

Mako told the court that the rent he collects from the tenant is his sole income source to support their children.

"The rental fee I collect from the tenant—that’s the one I use to take care of my children," he told the court.

However, Mako’s efforts to paint Kembo as a disruptive ex-partner quickly unraveled when she told the court that one of their children, born in 2009, had suffered burn injuries under his watch.

Kembo said the current dispute began weeks earlier when she discovered, through a third party, that one of their children had been injured—something Mako had failed to disclose.

"Every time I ask him about the wellness of the children, he always says they are fine, until I was tipped off about the injured one," said Kembo.

She added that she only wanted the tenant removed so that she could move into the house and properly care for the children, as she believes Mako is neglecting his responsibilities.

Despite Mako’s claims of harassment, the court ruled that the house is a jointly owned property, meaning Kembo has an equal right to occupy it. As such, her actions could not be considered grounds for a peace order.

The magistrate advised the former couple to resolve their parenting and housing issues in the best interest of the children, criticizing Mako’s attempt to use the courts to block a mother from caring for her injured child.