Man offers loaf of bread as child upkeep

Mexan Mpofu a waiter at Shearwater Café in Victoria Falls has offered a loaf of bread worth $1 as monthly maintenance for his minor daughter.

Mpofu said he was not earning a salary but depended on gratuity from clients, where he gets an average of $6 per week from clients. His ex-girlfriend, Ms Nyasha Moyo of Mkhosana suburb, dragged him to the Victoria Falls Maintenance Court demanding money for the upkeep of the minor, whose age was not mentioned in court.

"He has abandoned his daughter and before we came here, I tried several times to talk to him about the upkeep of the child and he told me he can only give me $1. He said he could only afford to buy bread and even told me to buy from a nearby tuckshop," said Moyo.

In response, Mpofu said he lived with his elder brother because he had no money. "At the restaurant where I'm employed, I only get gratuity from clients which amount to about $6 per week. I can't afford to buy food and I eat at my workplace during the day and sleep at my brother's place," he said.

Mpofu said he doubted he was the little girl's father and demanded DNA tests to prove paternity. "Besides, I am not sure if this child is mine because when I met the applicant she was seeing another man," said Mpofu.

Moyo told the court that she broke up with the unnamed man when she started her affair with Mpofu. Presiding magistrate Ms Rangarirai Gakanje advised Mpofu to ensure a DNA test was carried out at his expense in the next three months.

The magistrate said the court will today decide how much Mpofu should pay for the child's upkeep in the interim. Moyo is expected to supply the court with information about Mpofu's financial status after claiming that he earned about $350 a month. The court ordered Mpofu to facilitate that the child gets a birth certificate after Moyo complained that he was reluctant to assist his daughter obtain one.