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Nicholas Goche

Prosper Dembedza Court Correspondent
Suspended Zanu-PF Politburo member and former Transport and Infrastructural Development Minister Nicholas Goche has been slapped with a $9 450 per month maintenance lawsuit by his ex-wife after he failed to look after his child.

In her application filed at the Harare Civil Court yesterday, Laura Melisa Ebineng claimed she was customarily married to Cde Goche, whom she described as “a renowned politician and is currently a Member of Parliament” in 2002 and separated in 2006.

During the customary union, the two had a child in 2003, which Ms Ebineng accuse Cde Goche of neglecting.

In her break down of the $9 450, Ms Ebineng said $130 was for rates, with electricity and water at $100, telephone $100, maid $150, food and groceries $290, fuel $480, car maintenance $3 000 and medication $300.

School fees will account for $750, rugby training kit $130, rugby training fees $30, pocket money $40, clothes (school and sport uniforms) $500, casual wear $400, holidays $2 500, stationary $100, incidents $400 and insurance $50.

“The respondent was my husband at the time I conceived the minor child and as such he is the father of the minor child,” reads part of Ms Ebineng’s application.

“I am the one having the custody of the minor child and as such I am authorised to make this application.”

Ms Ebineng said Cde Goche was failing or neglecting to pay reasonable maintenance for the minor child, despite that he ran a “lucrative” farming business.

“The respondent used to give me $350 for rentals and gave me a flat where I collected rentals as his contributions towards the upkeep of the minor child,” she said.

“However, he became inconsistent and subsequently stopped giving me the money for rentals and I was forced to move into the flat. As such, I no longer have any other contribution from him towards the upkeep of the minor child.”

She said Cde Goche stopped buying groceries for his child in 2006.

“He has never bought clothes for the child and does not even want to have a cordial relationship with the child,” she said.

“The respondent earns a total income which is approximately above $60 000 per month, hence his ability to pay maintenance for the child cannot be doubted.”

Ms Ebineng claimed she was not formally employed and earned an average of $1 000 per month.

“I am capable of contributing $500 per month towards the minor child,” she said.

“I am advised that in applications of this nature, the court is obliged to have regard to the general standard of living of the respondent, including their social status.

“I, therefore, believe that an order of maintenance in terms of the draft order attached hereto will do justice to the standard of living the minor child should enjoy considering the standard of living and the social status of his father who is the respondent in this matter.”

Cde Goche, who is yet to file his response, was in May this year suspended from Zanu-PF for five years for working with a cabal led by expelled and former Vice President Joice Mujuru that was angling to topple President Mugabe.

He eventually lost his ministerial post after being suspended from the party.