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Noleen Makhurane Court reporter
A MARRIED police officer caused a stir at the Bulawayo Civil Court when he refused to produce his payslip before a magistrate who wanted to grant his on-off lover an upwards variation for child support.

Beitbridge-based Federick Moyo and his ex-lover, Naomi Msimanga, have two children together.

Moyo was paying child support for their four-year-old first child but the police officer was apparently still attracted to his former lover and the two were recently blessed with a second child.

The second child is now two-months-old.

Msimanga naturally had to ask for more money from her estranged lover to support the two toddlers and revisited the courts for an upward variation.

Moyo was in December last year ordered to pay $100 every month for the upkeep of the first child.Msimanga wanted an additional $70 for her to be able to take care of the second child as well. “I’ve a second child, a two-month-old baby. I’m applying to this court for an increase of my maintenance money for the two minors from $100 to $170. I’ve been receiving $100 for my four-year-old child but I now have another child. This means I now have more expenses,” she said.

Moyo told the court that he earns less than $300 after deductions.“I can’t afford $170 because I’m also looking after my other child and again my wife is pregnant. I’ve other responsibilities like paying rent and transport since I live outside a police camp,” he said.

Moyo further argued that he was also taking care of his parents. “I’ve to send my parents $20 monthly. I can only offer Msimanga $20 for my other child. My salary and expenses don’t permit me to pay $70,” he said.

Magistrate Sithembiso Ncube reminded him that his payslip was kept in the court records. Moyo earns a net salary of $495.

After Moyo failed to produce a payslip showing a $300 net, Ncube granted Msimanga an upward variation and ordered Moyo to pay an extra $60 for the maintenance for his two children.