Man Released from Dad Duties After DNA Test
SOUTH AFRICA- A Western Cape man has had his parental rights terminated after DNA tests revealed he is not the biological father of a child he believed was his.
The Western Cape High Court ruled after the man discovered a WhatsApp conversation indicating his ex-wife had an affair with another man, MW, while he was working abroad.
The couple married in 2012, and the child was born in 2017. After finding the messages, which included MW asking his ex-wife to “please look after my little girl,” the man sought paternity tests from two different labs, both confirming he was excluded as the father.
He applied to the court to terminate his parental responsibilities and remove his name from the child’s birth certificate, alleging that his ex-wife and MW had misled him for financial gain.
The mother did not contest the application and was absent during the proceedings.
Judge Dumisani Lekhuleni stated that the mother’s actions constituted paternity fraud, noting, “The respondent’s conduct appears to be a misrepresentation.” Consequently, the court officially terminated the man’s parental responsibilities.
The judge advised him to contact the Department of Home Affairs to remove his name from the population register and the child’s birth certificate without needing the mother’s consent.
