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Masvingo Bureau
Defrocked Zaoga pastor and gospel musician Lawrence Haisa is embroiled in a dispute over maintenance with his ex-wife who is demanding $500 per month for the upkeep of their 13-year-old child. Rugare Gondo (34), a teacher in Mwenezi, who had the child during her two-year marriage with Haisa, on Wednesday took her estranged husband before a Masvingo Civil Court seeking maintenance for the upkeep of their child. The child is now doing Form One at Gokomere Mission and Gondo claims she has been paying fees by herself over the years.

However magistrate Mr Jabulani Mzinyathi ordered Gondo to first transfer the maintenance case from Zvishavane Civil Court where it was initially dealt with.

This was after Gondo had wanted the case to be heard by Mr Mzinyathi as a fresh matter despite the fact that she had previously dragged Haisa to a Zvishavane court over the same maintenance case over 10 years.

Gondo says she wants $500 maintenance from Haisa who she accuses of neglecting their child over the past ten years.
She wants the courts to compel the defrocked pastor to also contribute $600 as boarding fees per term at Gokomere Mission and also cater for part of the child’s pocket money and other needs.

Gondo claims that Haisa can afford to pay the maintenance as she argues that he makes over $2 000 per month from his job as a Zaoga pastor and also from music.

The woman, who divorced Haisa and has since-remarried, says she cannot afford to look after their child alone from her salary as a teacher.