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Kuda Mahachi ordered to pay child maintenance
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Former Warriors and SuperSport United winger Kudakwashe Mahachi has been ordered to pay monthly child support after his ex-wife, Marita Ndlovu, hauled him before the courts for allegedly neglecting their two minor children.
In a ruling handed down last Friday at the Bulawayo Magistrates' Court, Provincial Magistrate Shepherd Mnjanja directed Mahachi to pay a total of US$320 per month in maintenance. This includes US$200 for the younger child and US$120 for the older one, whose paternity Mahachi is contesting.
The court also instructed Mahachi to cover the costs of a DNA test to establish the paternity of the older child. Depending on the outcome of the test, the financial obligations could shift. If Mahachi is confirmed as the biological father, the court may increase the maintenance amount. If not, he will be relieved of responsibility for that child.
Beyond the monthly maintenance, both Mahachi and Ndlovu were ordered to share the cost of school fees and other education-related expenses for the children.
In her court testimony, Ndlovu said Mahachi had not contributed to the children's welfare since 2022. She had initially demanded US$630 per month, arguing that the amount was necessary to cover the full range of expenses, including food, clothing, medical care, and transport. She also revealed that one of the children is physically challenged and requires a wheelchair and monthly medical treatment due to an injury suffered while under Mahachi's care.
"I only earn US$50 per month from vending," she told the court. "I can't do this alone, especially with a special needs child."
Mahachi's legal team, however, disputed the paternity of the older child and questioned the basis of the maintenance claim. His lawyer stated that Mahachi was only willing to pay US$220 for both children and argued that Marita was making assumptions about the footballer's current earnings.
He also warned of potential legal action should the DNA test prove Mahachi is not the father. "If the DNA test proves Mahachi is not the father, we expect Marita to be arrested for misleading the court," said the lawyer.
Ndlovu, for her part, fired back in court, declaring that if Mahachi is indeed the father, she would sue him for defamation and reputational damage.
The case remains open pending the DNA test results, which are expected to be a decisive turning point in the ongoing child support saga.
In a ruling handed down last Friday at the Bulawayo Magistrates' Court, Provincial Magistrate Shepherd Mnjanja directed Mahachi to pay a total of US$320 per month in maintenance. This includes US$200 for the younger child and US$120 for the older one, whose paternity Mahachi is contesting.
The court also instructed Mahachi to cover the costs of a DNA test to establish the paternity of the older child. Depending on the outcome of the test, the financial obligations could shift. If Mahachi is confirmed as the biological father, the court may increase the maintenance amount. If not, he will be relieved of responsibility for that child.
Beyond the monthly maintenance, both Mahachi and Ndlovu were ordered to share the cost of school fees and other education-related expenses for the children.
In her court testimony, Ndlovu said Mahachi had not contributed to the children's welfare since 2022. She had initially demanded US$630 per month, arguing that the amount was necessary to cover the full range of expenses, including food, clothing, medical care, and transport. She also revealed that one of the children is physically challenged and requires a wheelchair and monthly medical treatment due to an injury suffered while under Mahachi's care.
"I only earn US$50 per month from vending," she told the court. "I can't do this alone, especially with a special needs child."
Mahachi's legal team, however, disputed the paternity of the older child and questioned the basis of the maintenance claim. His lawyer stated that Mahachi was only willing to pay US$220 for both children and argued that Marita was making assumptions about the footballer's current earnings.
He also warned of potential legal action should the DNA test prove Mahachi is not the father. "If the DNA test proves Mahachi is not the father, we expect Marita to be arrested for misleading the court," said the lawyer.
Ndlovu, for her part, fired back in court, declaring that if Mahachi is indeed the father, she would sue him for defamation and reputational damage.
The case remains open pending the DNA test results, which are expected to be a decisive turning point in the ongoing child support saga.
Source - online
