�Unsure� father ordered to pay P33,000 in two months
Tumelo Mouwane | Friday January 22, 2016 15:16
Kgatswane, employed in a South African mine, faces 176 counts of contempt of court. State alleges that the accused person failed to pay P 200 for his child maintenance since December 2001. The arrears accumulated to P 33,000.
The 45-year-old man of Lotlhakane village was yesterday lost for words when he escaped jail by a whisker in a case where he faces 176 counts of contempt of court.
The state Prosecutor in the case Sub Inspector Legodile Sennafela of Lobatse police station arraigned the accused before court saying the State was ready for trial for trial in case the accused person fails to deposit the amount into his ex-girlfriend’s account bore March 30. Kgatswane said he was not aware that his matter is still pending before the courts since his ex-girlfriend told him that she withdrew the matter.
“My ex-girlfriend told me that she withdrew the matter before court. She told me I could stop paying. I did stop paying because I knew the matter was done and closed,” he said. Kgatswane further said he wanted the state to grant him a permission to carry out a DNA test as he highly suspected that the child is not his.
“I am afraid that I will deposit money whilst the child I am supporting is not mine. The said woman once told me that she wants to see me suffer by making me pay for the child that is not mine. I need the court to grant me a permission to carry a DNA test,” Kgatswane said.
Magistrate Thekolo warned the accused person that he has failed to comply with a court order 176 times and that ignorance of the law was not an excuse.
The magistrate further provided a tutorial for Kgatswane, educating him to know that women are not gifted to physically fight and they, therefore use words to provoke men’s emotions.
“Chances that the child is yours are very high. It is rare to find cases where the child is not yours. The girlfriend took a step to come before court for assistance. That is a sign that she is serious about the child. He is likely yours,” Thekolo said.
Thekolo further told the accused person that he needs to follow procedure before applying for DNA test. “We don’t work in reverse here. You will have to pay arrears which amount to P33,000 before you can apply for DNA test. If you have a car you will need to sell it to help yourself but we will remand you in custody. Your relatives will assist you to sell that car,”Thekolo said.
Thekolo reversed his decision to remand the accused. He gave the accused person until March 30 to have completed all the payments and warned him of imprisonment failure to meet the court’s order.