Mutare Man Disowns Baby, Court Orders DNA Test In Maintenance Battle
A dramatic paternity battle erupted at the Mutare Civil Court as Miriam Nyakusvorwa of Chikanga demanded child maintenance from Lucas Gore, alleging he had abandoned financial responsibilities for their five-month-old baby.
The case, presided over by magistrate Mr Xavier Chipato, saw Gore flatly deny knowing Nyakusvorwa or having any connection to the child.
“I am completely shocked, Your Worship. I do not even know this woman,” Gore told the court, adding that her claims were irrational and unfounded.
Nyakusvorwa refuted his denial, stating she had lived at Gore’s residence as a tenant in 2024. During that period, she alleged their relationship became intimate and ultimately led to her pregnancy.
She claimed Gore was deliberately misrepresenting their history to evade responsibility.
She said the property, managed by Gore’s wife, housed her in a room adjacent to Gore’s. “This man is deceiving the court. His wife knows me very well,” Nyakusvorwa insisted.
When asked for clarification, Gore’s wife confirmed knowing Nyakusvorwa only as a tenant and denied any affair had taken place.
Gore then acknowledged knowing her as a former tenant but claimed she had moved in with her husband in Zimunya in 2024.
Nyakusvorwa contested that claim, saying she had separated from her husband before moving into Gore’s home. She said their relationship resumed briefly in May 2024, after she relocated to Dangamvura following tensions with Gore’s wife.
She alleged that during a one-week visit to Gore’s house, they were intimate and that’s when she fell pregnant.
Nyakusvorwa added that Gore’s wife was aware of the affair and urged the magistrate to speak to her daughter waiting outside. “Your Worship, she knows this man as her father,” she said.
She applied for US$150 in monthly child maintenance, citing Gore’s alleged income of around US$400, supplemented by informal business activities.
As reported by The ManicaPost, Nyakusvorwa claimed that she and Gore had also worked together as business partners, giving her insight into his earnings.
Gore rejected the claims, stating he worked as a general hand cleaning public markets, earning just US$60 monthly.
He denied both the romantic relationship and any business involvement with Nyakusvorwa.
To settle the dispute, Mr Chipato ordered a DNA test to scientifically determine paternity. In the interim, Gore was directed to pay US$30 per month toward child maintenance.
The magistrate emphasized that only scientific evidence would conclusively establish parental responsibility.
