A LOCAL court in Lusaka has ordered a man who reportedly neglected his children and insulted his girlfriend every time she requested him for support, to pay her K600 every month towards child maintenance.
Kanyama local court presiding magistrate, Esther Mulomba, ordered Emmanuel Tayali, 32, a machine operator at Zambezi Construction, to either support his children or go jail.
Mr. Tayali was sued by his girlfriend, Namakau Matongo, 38, of Kanyama Compound, for failing to support his two children they have had in their 11 year old relationship.
She claimed that her boyfriend stopped supporting the children for no reason at all, insulted and threatened to beat her every time she asked him for child maintenance.
But in his defense, Tayali said that he had always tried to render support to the children but that it was not easy since he only got paid every two months.
“These are my children and I will continue to support them so long as I am given some time,” stated Mr. Tayali who appealed to Ms. Katongo to understand his situation because he has two families to feed. But in passing judgment, magistrate Esther Mulomba, ordered him to pay for his children’s upkeep, school fees and medical fees