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Ivan Zhakata Court Reporter
A Harare woman has taken her ex-husband to the Civil Court demanding an increase in maintenance after their child was referred for therapy for autism.

Nyaradzo Mlambo, who was demanding an increase from $150 to $400 a month, told magistrate Mrs Barbra Mateko that the child suffers from autism and has been referred to St Giles for specialised therapy.

Autism is a mental condition, present from early childhood, characterised by difficulty in communicating and forming relationships with other people and in using language and abstract concepts.

Mlambo told the court that her husband, Chance Chitima, abandoned her and child after he discovered that the child was autistic.

“I want an upward variation from $150 to $400 because our child who suffers from autism has been referred by Parirenyatwa Hospital to St Giles for a specialised therapy which costs $1 094 per term,” she said.

“The child has been going for therapy at Parirenyatwa Hospital since he was one year and eight months but last week they told me that the child needs to be enrolled at St Giles. The therapists at St Giles said they need payment upfront before they render any services and I cannot afford the money without his help as the father,” Mlambo said.

Chitima refused to increase the maintenance and told the court that Parirenyatwa was able to offer therapy services for the child for free.

He told the court that there were other hospitals in Kambuzuma, in Harare, that offer therapy services to children under the age of five for free.

“The child is under the age of five and services (therapy) are offered for free at Parirenyatwa and other hospitals in Kambuzuma,” Chitima said.

Mrs Mateko postponed the matter today for ruling.