"I don't owe anyone a penny," Mliswa tells court i...

"I don't owe anyone a penny," Mliswa tells court in child maintenance row

Court says Mliswa too rich to send kids to government school - NewZimbabwe.com

Zim Now Writer

Temba Mliswa, the Norton independent Member of Parliament was today in court to answer to charges of not fulfilling maintenance obligations towards his children.

The complainant in the case is the mother of the children, Cynthia Tendai Mugwira, who in her argument alleged that Mliswa owed Hellenic Primary School ZWL1 216 000 in tuition arrears.

But Mliswa, through his legal represengative, told the court that he had paid all school fees for his children amounting to $104 000 000.

The legislator said he is wondering why he was in court as he had paid all school fees arrears.

“As a Member of Parliament, my duty is to make laws. I deny owing the school such an amount,” he said.

He further stated that he was wondering where the figures are coming from as he settled all his bills.

Mliswa said he was billed in United States dollars and he paid using the interbank prevailing rate in terms of Statutory Instrument 33/2019 that was gazetted by President Mnangagwa.

“I told the school authority that their rate was not consistent with the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe exchange rate,” Mliswa said.

He further told court that after submitting all evidence before the National Prosecuting Authority officials they should have declined to prosecute the matter but on reasons known to them he was in court.

Mliswa said although the children are subject to DNA he is paying their fees as an order of the court.

Responding to a question from prosecutor Ms Mandirasa Chigumira on the age of the children, Mliswa said he does not know since the complainant does not allow him to attend their birthdays.

He said there is no evidence that the school said he refused to pay saying it’s only coming from the complainant.

Mliswa told the court that he cannot be forced to pay a black market rate as it is illegal saying the court cannot sit to deliberate his failure to pay a black market rate in favour of an interbank official rate.

The magistrate invoked sections of the court to allow the State to summon the school representative to testify in the matter.