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Tedious Manyepo Herald Reporter
A Faith in God Ministries pastor Robson Chamba has appeared in a maintenance court where his ex-girlfriend is demanding $160 per month for the upkeep of his 10-month-old child. Amanda Simango is demanding $160 per month from the pastor, but he is offering $40, claiming that he is not getting salary from his pastoral work. Chamba is in a childless marriage with another woman.

“Your Worship, I can only afford to pay $40 as maintenance for the child since I am not getting anything from my pastoral work with my church. I was suspended from church activities for the whole of last year due to some personal reasons and I have just resumed work so I am not yet getting any salary,” he said.

According to Simango, the pastor was suspended from church activities because he had allegedly helped one of his girlfriends to terminate a pregnancy. Simango declined to accept the pastor’s offer describing it as a “mockery” for a person who frequently flies to Tanzania on business trips.

“I cannot take it, Your Worship. This man is living large and for him to offer as little as $40 for the upkeep of his own child must be a mockery. He should have a heart. Just imagine, his child is only 10-months-old and is no longer on breast-feeding so how can the child survive on $40 a month?

“He is lying that he is not getting salary from his pastoral job. He should be a responsible father. This is the only child that he has and there is no reason why he should pay that little,” she said.

The magistrate Ms Yeukai Dzuda ordered Simango to bring proof from the pastor’s church indicating his earnings.