By Beverly Bizeki
Zanu PF Member of Parliament for Bikita South, who is also a businessman and a lawyer, Energy Mutodi has proposed paying US$30 monthly for the upkeep of his child in court, where his ex-wife had sued him for maintainance at Masvingo Civil Courts.
Mutodi’s ex-wife had demanded that he paid US$1 500 monthly for their six-month-old child, which Mutodi argued he could not afford due to low income, but could only pay US$30.
Masvingo Magistrate Isaac Chikura however after assessing submissions from both sides ordered Mutodi, who is also into land development, to pay US$80 for child support after the child’s mother, his ex-wife, Polite Dhiyo failed to defend her request for US$1 500.
Dhiyo, who claimed that she was married to Mutodi under customary law but later divorced said the child was conceived and born during the time when they were married but Mutodi had failed to support the child financially since birth.
In his defense, Mutodi through his legal representative Collen Maboke claimed that he had a low income considering he had seven other children whom he was taking care of and one was enrolled at National University of Science and Technology (NUST).
Mutodi also justified his US$30 offer stating that his monthly income averaged US$40 after deductions for the past five months against the substantial earnings claims made by Dhiyo.
He further claimed that he was married to another woman for whom he had financial obligations to fulfill hence his offer of US$30.
Mutodi also provided proof to the court that he was paying for the child’s school fees as she is enrolled in a crèche.
