By Richard Shumba
Kevin Dube (25) got the shock of his life after his ex-wife Naume Chitsa allegedly borrowed a baby boy from a friend and lied that he was the father, resulting in US$1800 being paid towards child support.
Chitsa of Nehosho, Senga appeared in court facing one count of fraud as defined in section 136 of the criminal law codification and reform act chapter 9.23 and pleaded not guilty.
It is the state’s case that on 19th of April 2018, Dube and Chitsa got married for about a month and separated over the issue of pregnancy.
At the end of January 2019, Chitsa then phoned Dube advising him that she had conceived a baby boy and should come to see his child which he complied.
From that day onwards Dube was supporting the baby financially but was having second thoughts about the paternity of the child.
In the month of April 2022, the complainant phoned his mother to meet with Chitsa so that she could have an opportunity to see the child.
After seeing the baby, Dube’s mother advised him to perform DNA tests if he wanted to be sure he was the father of the child.
He then stopped giving financial support to Chitsa, which did not go down well with her and decided to approach the civil courts for a maintenance payment.
Dube was summoned to appear in court as a respondent for maintenance but before the trial date arrived he received a phone call from Confidence Chikamhi who is Chitsa’s friend for the past three years advising him that, she (Chitsa) misled him into believing that she had a son with him in actual fact the child belongs to her.
Chitsa and Dube met in court on the 5th of May 2022, and when Chikamhi was called as a witness, she told the court the truth that the child belongs to her, not the complainant in the matter.
The magistrate ordered the arrest of Chitsa for fraud and was transferred to the criminal courts for prosecution.
The trial is set for 15 June 2022, and Thando Sibangani Dube prosecuted.
