By A Correspondent- A city pastor is in deep trouble after a woman he impregnated took him to court for allegedly failing to support their 16- month-old child.
Luke Banda of Glory of Christ International Church was sued by Mitchell Monica Moyo from Richmond who was demanding $7 000 every month as child upkeep.
According to court documents Moyo claimed Banda who has legal obligation to maintain his minor child had failed to do so.
“I am applying for maintenance in the sum of $7 000 per month for a child who is one-year-and-four-months old. The respondent and I are however, not married and he doesn’t maintain the child. May he also be allowed to release the child’s birth certificate,” requested Moyo.
Moyo claimed she was unable to cope with the financial demands associated with looking after the child especially in the harsh economy as she was not employed.
In his defence, Banda said he could not afford the expenses because he was not a man of means.
The cleric insisted that his ex-lover’s demands were unreasonable as he survived on “hustling” to provide for his other children aged four and one-year-old. He then offered to pay $700 per month.
“I am not opposed to her claim but I can’t afford $7 000. I am offering $700. Most of the time I hustle and realise about $900. I also have two other children, one who is four years old and the other is a month-old. I am willing to maintain my child but at the moment I am financially unstable,” responded Banda.
Moyo declined to accept the pastor’s offer describing it as a “mockery” for a person who is conducting church duties.
“The $700 he is offering cannot buy anything. I cannot take it, Your Worship since the child has many needs. He is a pastor by profession and I don’t think he gets $900 on a monthly basis,” protested Moyo.
The presiding magistrate Nomasiko Ndlovu ordered Banda to bring his mobile money statement for the past three months to ascertain it was true that he was not a man of means. This was also after he indicated that he didn’t have a bank account.