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Cynthia Dube, Court Reporter
A WOMAN from Pumula North suburb in Bulawayo lost a bid to claim maintenance when her ex-husband produced a secret letter in court in which she had divulged that he was not the father of her baby as she was impregnated by her former boss.

Ms Sandra Pande dragged Norton police officer Simbarashe Kaundikiza to court seeking $124 per month as maintenance for the upkeep of her 10-month-old baby.

She claimed that Kaundikiza was the father of her child, and wanted money for food, clothes and medical attention since he had chased her out of his house.

When maintenance court magistrate Mr Manasa Musiiwa asked the police officer why he was not looking after his child, Kaundikiza said he discovered that he was not the father after maintaining the child for five months.

“I have been taking care of the child but l always wondered why my ex-wife had a secret bag that she was always hiding from me.

“One day when she went to visit her family, l opened the bag and discovered a letter in which she wrote that her baby belonged to her boss where she used to be a maid before moving in with me,” said the police officer, handing over the letter to the magistrate.

“The letter said that she fell in love with me while she was one month pregnant and the baby belonged to (name withheld) who raped and infected her with the HIV virus.”

Kaundikiza said he was frustrated and chased her out of his house without telling her that he knew about her secret letter.

The magistrate handed over the letter to Ms Pande who was shaking. She did not deny that she wrote the letter.

Mr Musiiwa then dismissed the maintenance application. — @cynthiamthembo1