A former bank manager who told the court he now survives on hustling has been ordered to pay child maintenance and contribute towards school fees for his three children after their mother took him to court for support.
Ian Tichareva who worked as a bank manager at NBSZ before losing his job in 2018, appeared before the Harare Civil Court after Alleta Mupatsi applied for US$590 per month in maintenance, arguing that she has been carrying the financial burden of raising their children alone.
Mupatsi told the court she earns US$500 per month working at Stanley Motors and uses most of her salary to cover rent, utilities, food and school expenses for the children.
She said US$200 goes towards rent, US$30 to water bills, with the remainder stretched across transport, food and school-related costs.
“I am not married and I am not in a relationship. I am the one taking care of everything,” she told the court.
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Tichareva told the court he is currently unemployed and survives through informal hustling and could only afford US$50 per month in maintenance.
“Currently, the mother is paying school fees on her own and I am not contributing anything,” he admitted
He further said he has four other children to support and offered to contribute just US$20 per month towards school fees.
In her ruling, the magistrate ordered Tichareva to pay US$100 per month in maintenance and to cover 50 percent of the children’s school fees, with effect from January 31, 2026.
The magistrate stressed that responsibility for raising children rests with both parents.
“You need to make a plan to take care of your children. It is your responsibility as a parent,” she said.
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