This was heard when Naume Chitsa of Senga suburb in Gweru
appeared before Gweru magistrate Ms Beaulity Dube facing one count of fraud.
Chitsa of Nehosho area in Senga suburb pleaded not guilty.
Ms Dube remanded Chitsa to 15 June on free bail. Chitsa is accused of borrowing
a baby boy from a friend and lying that her ex-husband Mr Kevin Dube was the
father, resulting in US$1 800 being paid towards child support.
It is the State case that on April 19, 2018, Mr Dube and
Chitsa got married for about a month and separated over the issue of pregnancy.
At the end of January 2019, Chitsa phoned Mr Dube advising him that she had
conceived a baby boy and he should come to see his child.
From that day onwards Mr Dube was allegedly supporting the
baby financially but was having second thoughts about the paternity of the
child. In April 2022, the court heard that Mr Dube phoned his mother and asked
her to meet with Chitsa so that she could have an opportunity to see her
grandchild.
After seeing the baby, Mr Dube’s mother advised him to take
the child for DNA tests if he wanted to be sure he was the father. The court
heard that Mr Dube stopped giving financial support to Chitsa. Chitsa
approached the Civil Courts for a maintenance payment.
Mr Dube was summoned to appear in court as a respondent for
maintenance. The court heard that before the trial date arrived Mr Dube
received a phone call from one Ms Confidence Chikamhi who is Chitsa’s friend
who advised him that he had been misled into believing that he had a son with
her.
Ms Chikamhi, the court heard, told Mr Dube that the child
used to claim maintenance by Chitsa was hers. Chitsa and Mr Dube met in court
on May 5.
Chitsa brought the child and Ms Chikamhi was called as a
witness. The child went to Ms Chikamhi who told the court that he belongs to
her.
Chitsa was arrested and the matter transferred to the
criminal courts for prosecution.
Ms Thando Sibangani Dube appeared for the State. Chronicle
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