(Last Updated on December 16, 2020 by GERALD NCUBE)
HARARE – Popular businessman turned politician Philip Chiyangwa recently told a High Court that he was paying maintenance for more than fifty children.
Chiyangwa made the revelation in his recently dismissed appeal against a $40 000 maintenance order granted in June for his two minor sons with estranged girlfriend, Pamela Rusere.
He was also ordered to pay R49 172 per term towards the fees for the two children.
The findings from the High Court Judge read: “He put his monthly earnings at a paltry $70 000 a month, while conceding to sitting on many boards. “He did not divulge the income from these on the basis of the income being dependent on dividends.
“He purported to have fathered 50 children and mentioned some for whom he pays maintenance in very cursory terms…the record does not show any evidence he produced in this regard apart from the names of the mothers of the children.”
Chiyangwa was appealing to the order on the basis that he was already contributing towards the welfare of the two children and also that the children had been moved to South Africa without his knowledge hence he did not understand why he had to pay the school fees.
However, in a joint decision by the High Court, Judges Webster Chinamora and Amy Tsanga upheld the maintenance order granted in July.
“The appeal is dismissed with regards to the claim for maintenance in the sum of $40 000 a month for the two minor children.
“The appeal is partly upheld with regards to the payment of school fees directly to the school in foreign currency in that order of the lower court is altered in paragraph (b) to read as follows;
“The respondent be and is hereby ordered to pay termly expenses being school fees for the minor children in the sum of R49 172.83 which shall be deposited into Rusere’s local bank account being Standard Chartered Bank, account number …. at the auction rate as at the day of payment.
“The order shall be with effect from the first term of 2021 ,” reads part of the judgement.
Rusere claimed she had brought the issue to the courts following the failure by Chiyangwa to pay the children’s fees which had led to them not going to school.
Chiyangwa is not fighting for custody.