CHINHOYI — A 30-year-old man employed by the Ministry of Youth Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment landed himself in trouble after defaulting payment of maintenance for the upkeep of his minor child.
Own Correspondent
Sydney Songwe of N7 Shackleton Mine, Chinhoyi pleaded guilty to the crime and was last Friday sentenced to six months imprisonment by magistrate Sam Chitumwa.
The sentence was, however, wholly suspended on condition he deposits $1 000 maintenance arrears with the Clerk of Court, failure of which he would do time in prison.
The accused was facing charges under section 23 of the Maintenance Act Chapter 5:09.
Prosecutor Morris Mlilo averred that on August 17, 2011 and at Chinhoyi Civil Court, Songwe was in August 2011 ordered to pay maintenance at the rate of $50 per month for the upkeep of his minor child whom he sired with his estranged wife Fungai Ingano (24).
The court heard that the accused initially complied with the court order, but later defaulted resulting in him falling in arrears of $1 000 for the period between April 2012 and December 2013.
