Disabled child ruins marriage

A TEENAGER who was impregnated aged 14 and gave birth to a disabled baby was pressured to kill the tot by its father as a condition for marrying her.

Habarathi Mary Ndlovu, now 16, of Jambezi, told Victoria Falls magistrate Sharon Rosemani this week that Victor Ndlovu, 28, told her that he would not marry her unless if the disabled child was dead.

The child is stunted and could be deaf and dumb as she cannot speak, Habarathi said.

Habarathi, who lives with her grandmother, said she briefly stayed with Victor before she gave birth, but they were separated after their disabled child was born and he went to work in Beitbridge.

The teenager said Ndlovu told her to kill the child for him to marry her.

"He doesn't want the child. He told me that the baby should die first before he can marry me because she's disabled," she told court.

She said she was failing to raise $30 needed for her daughter to undergo a scan and wanted the Maintenance Court to order Ndlovu to take care of his daughter.

She applied for $100 per month for the tot's food, medication, clothes and others.

The magistrate awarded her $30 per month starting this month after the baby's father said he was unemployed.

He denied that he had abandoned his family.