RAYLITE Batteries director and former national rugby team coach Losson Mtongwiza last week appeared at the Harare Civil Court in maintenance wrangle with his ex-wife Lizzie Nyamweda in which he offered to pay $20 for each of his two children aged 11 and 16.
Senior Court Reporter
Mtongwiza’s marriage is said to have collapsed eight years ago following which he was ordered to pay $150 per month for each child. He then made an application last week for a downward variation and offered to pay $20 per child instead.
But the court granted him the relief sought and reduced the amount to $100 per month.
Mtongwiza was last year convicted by a Harare Magistrate over maintenance arrears amounting to $5 100 after defaulting for years. For the crime, he was sentenced to 12 months in prison which was wholly suspended on condition that he paid the arrears on or before end of November last year.
In his founding affidavit, the businessman and sports personality cited that the original maintenance ruling was granted on the grounds that the children were spending more time at home.
“The time they (children) used to spend at home was now being spent at boarding school at my expense. This requires therefore that the order be seriously revised downwards otherwise the money is no longer benefitting the children,” Mtongwiza said in his affidavit.
He also said Nyamweda was a woman of means hence he was under no obligation to foot her transport expenses to visit the children. He further argued that he had re-married and his current wife was earning very little making him literally the main breadwinner.
- Chamisa under fire over US$120K donation
- Mavhunga puts DeMbare into Chibuku quarterfinals
- Pension funds bet on Cabora Bassa oilfields
- Councils defy govt fire tender directive
Keep Reading
In her response, Nyamweda dismissed Mtongwiza’s claims arguing his (Mtongwiza)’s access to the children was inconsistent hence they spent most of their time in her custody not in boarding school.
Last November, Mtongwiza also had a separate legal battle with his ex-wife’s husband Oupa Teke who had applied for a peace order against him. The peace order application was, however, dismissed by the court.
