Zimbabwe: Defrocked Priest to Pay U.S $80 Upkeep for Child

ZIMBABWE
allAfrica

The Herald

By Prosper Dembedza

A Guruve-based former Roman Catholic priest who sired a child while he was still serving was yesterday ordered to pay US$80 per month towards the upkeep of the minor. Roman Catholic priests pledge to celibacy, but Mathew Jonga (pictured right) broke the cardinal rule and sired a child with Emmah Mutaka. Harare Civil Court magistrate Mr Trevor Nyatsanza last week ordered Mutaka to bring proof that Jonga was still a Roman Catholic priest and receipts to show that she was responsible for paying school fees for the child.

Mutaka told the court that she went to the Roman Catholic offices in Chinhoyi where she was told that Jonga had resigned from the church.

Mutaka claimed that she was single-handedly taking care of the child since Jonga had been refusing to contribute anything.

“I have my receipts which show that I am the one who has been paying school fees for the child single-handedly,” said Mutaka.

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