News / Local
Tithe receipts expose maintenance cheat
20 Nov 2013 at 02:15hrs | Views
A BULAWAYO man who lied to a magistrate about his earnings to reduce his maintenance payments was exposed after his ex-wife produced receipts from tithes made out to his church.
Mr Jairos Musvubi, of Pumula South, was claiming that he only gets less than $300 monthly from his car sales business.
But Mr Musvubi had not bargained for his ex-wife's ingenuity after she turned up in court with a bunch of receipts from their church showing that her husband had been paying between $50 and $80 per month – being 10 percent of his total earnings – as tithes.
Mrs Precious Musvubi appealed to the court to use the receipts as proof that Mr Musvubi was earning between $500 and $800 per month.
A tithe is a tenth of one's gross income paid towards the support of a church and its ministry.
Mrs Musvubi was demanding $350 for the upkeep of their two minor children and herself.
She told the magistrate Mr Victor Mpofu: "I know he's no longer interested in me as he has filed for divorce, but I need him to help in the upkeep of our children.
"He recently tried to force me to go to the rural areas but I refused because he is trying to get rid of me in an unfriendly manner."
Mr Musvubi accused his wife of stealing from him resulting in the collapse of his car business.
"I only earn $280 a month and I cannot afford to pay this woman $350. That is more than what I earn. This woman has multiplied my sorrows in many ways and I have since filed for divorce," Mr Musvubi told the court.
He added: "I once requested her to go and stay at our rural home so we could try and fix our marriage but she did not comply. I am willing to take care of my family but I can only pay $50 for each of them as stated in the divorce papers I filed.
"This woman even stole from me at one point and because of this I was forced to shut down my business which was my major source of income."
Delivering his ruling, the magistrate ordered Mr Musvubi to pay $180 for the upkeep of his wife and children starting at the end of this month.
Mr Jairos Musvubi, of Pumula South, was claiming that he only gets less than $300 monthly from his car sales business.
But Mr Musvubi had not bargained for his ex-wife's ingenuity after she turned up in court with a bunch of receipts from their church showing that her husband had been paying between $50 and $80 per month – being 10 percent of his total earnings – as tithes.
Mrs Precious Musvubi appealed to the court to use the receipts as proof that Mr Musvubi was earning between $500 and $800 per month.
A tithe is a tenth of one's gross income paid towards the support of a church and its ministry.
Mrs Musvubi was demanding $350 for the upkeep of their two minor children and herself.
She told the magistrate Mr Victor Mpofu: "I know he's no longer interested in me as he has filed for divorce, but I need him to help in the upkeep of our children.
"He recently tried to force me to go to the rural areas but I refused because he is trying to get rid of me in an unfriendly manner."
Mr Musvubi accused his wife of stealing from him resulting in the collapse of his car business.
"I only earn $280 a month and I cannot afford to pay this woman $350. That is more than what I earn. This woman has multiplied my sorrows in many ways and I have since filed for divorce," Mr Musvubi told the court.
He added: "I once requested her to go and stay at our rural home so we could try and fix our marriage but she did not comply. I am willing to take care of my family but I can only pay $50 for each of them as stated in the divorce papers I filed.
"This woman even stole from me at one point and because of this I was forced to shut down my business which was my major source of income."
Delivering his ruling, the magistrate ordered Mr Musvubi to pay $180 for the upkeep of his wife and children starting at the end of this month.
Source - chronicle
