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Patient Sibanda : Court Reporter

A WOMAN who approached a court claiming $250 maintenance for her two children from her ex-lover wept when the man denied paternity of one of the minors after she said she gave the child her ex-boyfriend’s surname as her father was not supportive.Ruth Tsuangura of Bulawayo’s Cowdray Park suburb dragged Blessmore Machangaira, a taxi-driver, from Makokoba suburb to the Maintenance Court demanding support for her two children aged six and two years old.

Machangaira told magistrate Tawanda Muchemwa that he could only pay maintenance for one child and requested to go for paternity tests for the other.

“I’m only responsible for her second child. In 2008 I was in South Africa when her first child was born. I met her in 2013 and she told me that she had one child. I actually know the father of her child,” he said.

Tsuangura started sobbing and magistrate Muchemwa told her not to cry and say her wishes.

The magistrate then ordered Machangaira to pay $40 for the upkeep of the two minor children and to apply for paternity tests.

Tsuangura said Machangaira was the father of her two children.

She said he impregnated her in 2008 and they never met until 2013 when their first child was three years old.

“When he went to South Africa I dated another man who then supported his child. I then decided to register her under his surname because the man was helping me.

“Machangaira isn’t telling the truth. All what he said is what I told him after he came from South Africa. I separated with that man to stay with him. He is a taxi-driver so he can afford to pay $250,” she said.