Man’s maintenance arrears hit $73 000

gavelLovemore Meya Court Correspondent
A Beatrice man defied a High Court judgment compelling him to pay maintenance for the upkeep of his three minor children, resulting in him accumulating $72 800 in arrears.

Benjamin Mumba, whose age was not given but owns a farm known as Piers in Beatrice, told the court that he once had a vibrant business up until the time he divorced his wife Tafadzwa Mwale.

The court heard that after their separation, Mwale applied for maintenance to the tune of $1 213, 33 and was granted at the Harare Civil Court on August 3 in 2010.

The order was effected from August 31 the same year under case number 3000/15.

But Mumba never bothered to pay the maintenance, resulting in his arrears amounting to $72 800.

Mwale has been paying for their children’s fees that are learning at different up-class schools including Gateway and Stenden University in South Africa on her own.

Appearing before Chitungwiza magistrate Mrs Renika Dzikiti, Mumba admitted to charges of failure to pay maintenance.

He pleaded with Mrs Dzikiti to give him time up to 2018 to clear his arrears, but his plea hit a snag after the court noted that he was unlikely to stand by his word.

Mrs Dzikiti sentenced him to one year in prison, but wholly suspended it on condition he clears the arrears by end of December this year.

Mrs Ntombikayise Nleya prosecuted.

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