Innocent Manduna, a former member of the Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA) who for 14 years looked after twin boys he thought were his biological children was shattered on Tuesday last week when a Gutu Magistrate announced DNA test results.
The children are not his.
An angry Manduna described his estranged wife, Shingirayi Marecha, a nurse at Gutu Rural Hospital as evil when The Mirror sought his comment.
“I was suspicious right from pregnancy but this woman was persistent. She nagged me at my workplace daily and I was so embarrassed I married her. I looked after these boys for 14 years,” he said.
Marecha went quiet on the phone before she politely told a Mirror reporter that she did not have a comment.
Manduna said he also paid full lobola for the woman. He said he is angrier because the woman has not even bothered to apologise after the ordeal she took him through.
He said he is so angry he could have killed Marecha but he is maintaining his cool. He does not want any compensation from the nurse except the US$400 he paid for the DNA tests.
Manduna who comes from Gokwe wants the two boys to drop his name which they use as their surname.
He told The Mirror that he never had peace of mind over the issue. In October last year, he therefore went for what are called peace of mind paternity tests with DNA Global in Harare and the results came out negative.
He immediately stopped financial support for the children but Marecha went to claim maintenance at Gutu Magistrates’ Court in February after accusing Manduna of bribing DNA Global to get favourable results.
Magistrate Mandlenkosi Ndhlovu granted the claim and ordered Manduna to pay $200 a month until fresh tests were done through the National Blood Service of Zimbabwe.
Magistrate Rungano Mahamadi quashed the maintenance order on Tuesday after reading out the DNA results in court.
“I knew this woman was blackmailing me, she is evil simple. I don’t want anything from her. All I want is reimbursement of the US$400 that I paid for the second tests to be done.
“Our marriage was shaky and it did not last. I was suspicious of the pregnancy but circumstances forced me to pay lobola. Marecha knows the biological father of those innocent souls. I could have done really bad things to her but I will keep my cool. She disputed first results and accused me of paying bribes thereby forcing me to pay for a second round of tests,” said a fuming Manduna.
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