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Ivan Zhakata Court Correspondent
A Harare man has accused his wife of running away from their matrimonial home in order to claim maintenance from him, but the court ordered him to pay in any case.

Tatenda Padzinorima last week told Harare Civil Court magistrate Tafadzwa Miti that his wife Tsitsi Mukumba left their matrimonial home without his knowledge and was shocked to see court papers summoning him for a maintenance claim.

Mukumba was seeking $6 000 for the maintenance of their one-year-old child, telling the court that her husband had neglected the child and that she wanted him to take care of the child’s needs.

“I want him to take care of his child,” she said. “He has no other children nor is he married to another wife, so I want $6 000.”

Padzinorima offered to pay $500, before telling the court that he still loved his wife.

He said he was not working, but could devise a plan for survival once Mukumba came back to stay with him.

“Currently, I am not working, but I can give her $500,” said Mukumba. “She went back to her parents’ house so as to claim maintenance, but I still love her. I did not divorce her.

“At the moment I am surviving through money given to me by my parents after they receive their rent from their tenants. I also have another child I am being accused of fathering, but I am yet to go for paternity tests to establish if the child is mine.”

Ms Miti ordered Padzinorima to pay $600 as maintenance for the child until the child reaches 18 years.