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Prosper Dembedza Court Reporter
A man made stunning revelations in court last Friday when he said he was fed up of being arrested every month for not paying maintenance for his child.

Silvester Rakama summoned his ex-wife Mercy Ncube to the Harare Civil Court where he was seeking a downward variation of his maintenance order from US$90 to US$30.

“I am fed up of being arrested for defaulting to pay maintenance that’s why I have decided to come here to seek for a downward variation of my maintenance order from US$90 to US$30,” he said.

Rakama told magistrate Mr Trevor Nyatsanza that his salary was recently cut from US$200 to US$150. “I am just a barber and I now have a child with my new wife who also depends on me,” Rakama said.

He claimed that he suffers from migraine and sometimes didn’t go to work. “I am appealing to this honourable court to reduce my maintenance order to US$30, which is a reasonable figure considering my salary,” he said.

Ncube accused Rakama of lying saying he earned over US$800 from his job.

“He is capable of paying that amount because his business is very profitable that’s why he recently employed an assistant,” she said. Mr Nyatsanza ordered Rakama to pay US$80 per month for the upkeep of his child.