Offering pocket change for raising a human being barely convinced the judge today. A Harare magistrate ordered Tobias Makumbirofa to pay fifty American dollars monthly for child support despite his claiming he could only spare twenty bucks. Esther Mpofu originally demanded one hundred fifty dollars for their ten-year-old kid.
Makumbirofa tried pleading poverty, stating his job as a bus conductor only pays four dollars daily. He argued that supporting two kids with a different partner drained his finances already. The respondent also insisted the child lived with his mother out in the countryside rather than with Mpofu.
Mpofu pushed back hard against those claims. She explained the child only stayed with the in-laws temporarily because her job involves working late shifts. The mother alleged that Makumbirofa never actually bought clothes or contributed anything material toward raising their offspring since birth.
Magistrate Hannah Fazilahmed eventually ruled that parental disputes do not cancel out financial responsibility. She directed the father to cover half of all educational costs alongside the monthly cash payments. Both parents hold shared legal duties to ensure the welfare of the minor, regardless of income disputes.
Makumbirofa tried pleading poverty, stating his job as a bus conductor only pays four dollars daily. He argued that supporting two kids with a different partner drained his finances already. The respondent also insisted the child lived with his mother out in the countryside rather than with Mpofu.
Mpofu pushed back hard against those claims. She explained the child only stayed with the in-laws temporarily because her job involves working late shifts. The mother alleged that Makumbirofa never actually bought clothes or contributed anything material toward raising their offspring since birth.
Magistrate Hannah Fazilahmed eventually ruled that parental disputes do not cancel out financial responsibility. She directed the father to cover half of all educational costs alongside the monthly cash payments. Both parents hold shared legal duties to ensure the welfare of the minor, regardless of income disputes.
