MAN SEEKS E5 000 COMPENSATION

MBABANE – Fourteen years after his child’s birth, a man took a paternity test which revealed he is not the biological father, and he is now seeking E5 000 in compensation from the mother. *Sizwe explained that his eldest child, now in Form II, had been living with her stepmother for easy access to school. He was surprised to learn that the child’s mother had deregistered her from school, citing inadequate care from him and the child’s long commute. In his application to the court, he stated that he had never considered conducting a paternity test until he received information that the child’s mother was telling people that he was not the father of their alleged firstborn.

Paternity

He narrated to the court that, in a bid to address the matter, he reported it to the police, who advised him to conduct a DNA test to establish the child’s paternity. A DNA test, also known as genetic testing, is a type of medical test that can identify changes in your genes, chromosomes or proteins. These changes, also called mutations, can provide valuable information about your health, ancestry and biological relationships. He submitted that the results came back negative, hence he is now demanding compensation from the child’s mother, which includes the money he spent on the DNA test.

In an almost similar incident, Babongile Mkhonta (35) of Makhonza, in the Shiselweni Region, was arrested after she allegedly fraudulently received maintenance money from one Sihle Ndlovu, for a child who never was. She claimed that Ndlovu sent her money electronically and he did so voluntarily. The amount that Mkhonta, who is married to another man, reportedly received from Ndlovu, is E574 442. She is said to have received the money over a period of five years - between 2019 and April 2024. Ndlovu is alleged to have been paying not less than E5 000 per month to maintain the ‘child’, while also taking care of other auxiliary expenses.

Expenses

The sum of E5 000 amounts to E300 000 in five years and the other expenses that Ndlovu was allegedly made to take care of amount to E274 442 over the same period. Mkhonta was arrested after a lengthy investigation that began in March 2024. During the investigation, the police established that there is a child that Mkhonta showed to the Ndlovu family in 2022.
She was summoned by the Manzini Magistrates Court to bring the child she had shown to Ndlovu’s family in 2022. Mkhonta is said to have failed to bring the child in question, as ordered by the court. She is alleged to have misrepresented to Ndlovu that he must give her money amounting to E574 442 under the pretence that he was paying for child support. She is alleged to have known very well that there is no child. 
*Not real name to prevent victimisation of the child.

Post your comment

Your name:

Your e-mail address:

Add your comments:

Please enter the code you see in the image:

Image:

Code: