‘My child needs identity’

A woman has approached the courts seeking an order compelling her child’s father to help acquire a birth certificate for the toddler.

According to Clarrette Gede, her yearold baby has no identity as he is not carrying his biological father’s surname, neither is he carrying her own surname.

She approached the courts after her family refused to have the child use their surname.

Gede said the court should force the child’s father, Stanford Chinyamutangira to acquire the identity document for the child.

She appeared before Mutare magistrate, Mr Lazarus Murendo and Chinyamutangira was in default.

She claimed that her family, the Gede family, had categorically refused to have her child use their surname.

“My father, brothers and uncles all refused to have my child use their surname. They said they will not allow a stranger to use their surname because the child’s father had not paid them anything. They threatened to disown me if I acquire the birth certificate using the Gede name.

“My father said the child is not a Gede and therefore should not use the family surname. I was left with no option, but to approach the courts to compel Chinyamutangira to be a responsible father.

“He is not here today despite being served with the court summons,” she explained.

Mr Murendo, however, advised her to acquire her son’s birth certificate using her family name, saying the law cannot compel someone to acquire a birth certificate for a child born out of wedlock.

“The law bars the courts from compelling a man to acquire a birth certificate for a child born out of wedlock using his surname. That is the reason why in Zimbabwe, a mother can acquire that document for her child using her own surname. The best that you can do is to acquire it yourself because you cannot risk your child being not registered. Acquire the birth certificate with your own surname if the father is refusing,” said Mr Murendo.

He, however, granted Gede $13 000 monthly maintenance for the minor child.

This was after she had told the court that Chinyamutangira is an illegal money changer who also sells bulk airtime.

“He gets around $50 000 monthly so he can afford a mere $13 000. That is the least that he can do if he cannot acquire a birth certificate for his child,” she said.

Gede also told the court that from buying and selling, she gets $6 000, an amount which her family thinks is not enough to look after herself and the baby.