A court in Hwange, Zimbabwe, has ruled that a woman must repay US$2,500 in child maintenance payments after a DNA test revealed that the man who had been financially supporting the child was not the biological father.
The decision came at the conclusion of a protracted paternity dispute involving Clean Nyathi, who stated that he had harbored doubts about the child's paternity since 2014 and had repeatedly requested a DNA examination.
Nyathi recounted that the matter began in Dete in 2014. He said he always felt the child was not his, which motivated his persistent demand for a DNA test. He further alleged that his former partner, Cynthia Dube, initially resisted his requests for testing, which only deepened his suspicions.
According to Nyathi, he eventually funded the DNA test himself, paying approximately US$450. The results later identified another man as the child's biological father.
Prior to the release of the test results, Nyathi had been paying child maintenance for several years, with the amount increasing over time. He noted that the payments started at US$40, then rose to US$50, and eventually to US$60, all for a child that was not biologically his.
Following the DNA findings, the court ordered Dube to repay US$2,500 within seven days. However, she informed the court that she lacked the financial resources to raise the money within that timeframe.
Dube explained that she met Nyathi while she was already in another relationship and moved in with him after encountering problems with her partner. She stated that she was already pregnant at the time, and the relationship with Nyathi eventually ended, leading to disputes over maintenance payments.
She also mentioned that although she ultimately agreed to the DNA test, delays in conducting the process prolonged the dispute for several years.
Nyathi indicated that he was not immediately pursuing enforcement of the repayment order but warned that he would return to court if the money was not refunded.
