Court orders Harare man to pay US$30 maintenance

Michael Mashiri

A Harare man has been hauled before the courts by his estranged wife for not paying maintenance for the upkeep of their two minor children.

Lazarus Garawaziva appeared before the Harare Civil Court yesterday, claiming that he was not going to pay anything towards the upkeep of their minor children.

He argued that he was not employed and had been living with the children who were only taken away from him recently by their mother.

“I am not offering anything because l am not employed.

“I have been staying with these children, they were not with their mother until one day, she went to school and took the children and from there she has been with them,” he said.

He said there was no point paying for the upkeep of the children as he was still married to his wife although they just had a disagreement which culminated in him sending her to her parents.

“We are not divorced. I sent her to her home because she was not being faithful, she was having boyfriends while we were together, so l wanted her to live with her parents for a while,” he said.

After being questioned by the court why he was not looking after his children, Garawaziva argued that since he was unemployed, he could only pay US$10 per child.

His estranged wife Tanaka Muguti wanted $60 000 (approximately US$95) for the two children’s upkeep, arguing that Garawaziva worked at a blanket manufacturing company and could afford the money.

“He is lying, Your Honour, he works at a blanket manufacturing company," she said.

The magistrate ordered Garawaziva to pay US$30 for the upkeep of both children as well as paying their school fees.