News / Regional
Policeman dressed down at maintainance court
29 Jan 2016 at 05:23hrs | Views
A 33-YEAR-OLD Plumtree woman has dragged her police officer husband to the maintainance court for neglecting their two children aged seven months and nine years.
Chipo Mukomondoro told the court that, Sifelani Mukomondoro, who is based at Plumtree Police Station's Criminal Investigation Department, was not fending for his children.
The couple is on separation and Mukondoro said she had been relying on selling food but recently she fell ill and was unable to continue with her business.
Mukomondoro told the court that she expected her husband to pay $350 a month towards her upkeep and that of their two children.
She later revised the amount down to $250 after the court told her to take into consideration the amount which her husband earns.
"I'm not even aware of the amount that he earns because he has never told me Your Worship. All I want is for him to support his children and me because I'm his wife," she said.
In response, Sifelani said he could not afford to pay the money that his former wife was demanding as he had a third child with another woman and was also in the process of building his house. He said he could only afford to pay $150 towards the upkeep of his two children and wife.
Sifelani said the salary that he was earning did not allow him to pay $250 and build his house at the same time.
Plumtree magistrate, Livard Philemon lashed out at Sifelani and told him that he had to prioritise the welfare of his children and not acquiring wealth.
He ordered him to pay $200 a month towards the upkeep of his two children and wife.
"It was by choice that you fathered a third child and that should not be an excuse for you to avoid paying maintenance. Surely building a house cannot be done at the expense of maintaining your children", he said.
Chipo Mukomondoro told the court that, Sifelani Mukomondoro, who is based at Plumtree Police Station's Criminal Investigation Department, was not fending for his children.
The couple is on separation and Mukondoro said she had been relying on selling food but recently she fell ill and was unable to continue with her business.
Mukomondoro told the court that she expected her husband to pay $350 a month towards her upkeep and that of their two children.
She later revised the amount down to $250 after the court told her to take into consideration the amount which her husband earns.
"I'm not even aware of the amount that he earns because he has never told me Your Worship. All I want is for him to support his children and me because I'm his wife," she said.
In response, Sifelani said he could not afford to pay the money that his former wife was demanding as he had a third child with another woman and was also in the process of building his house. He said he could only afford to pay $150 towards the upkeep of his two children and wife.
Sifelani said the salary that he was earning did not allow him to pay $250 and build his house at the same time.
Plumtree magistrate, Livard Philemon lashed out at Sifelani and told him that he had to prioritise the welfare of his children and not acquiring wealth.
He ordered him to pay $200 a month towards the upkeep of his two children and wife.
"It was by choice that you fathered a third child and that should not be an excuse for you to avoid paying maintenance. Surely building a house cannot be done at the expense of maintaining your children", he said.
Source - chronicle
