Zimbabwean Man Petitions Parliament for Mandatory DNA Tests in Maintenance Cases
A Kadoma man, Dr Believe Guta, has petitioned Parliament seeking changes to the Maintenance Act to ensure that men are not compelled to pay child support without proof of biological parentage.
His petition, filed under Section 149 of the Constitution, will be examined by the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs this Tuesday.
Also Read: Deadbeat Fathers To Be Blacklisted Over Maintenance In SA, Courts To Name And Shame Defaulters
The Case for Law Reform
In his submission, Dr Guta argued that the current Maintenance Act [Chapter 5:09] has a major gap in its handling of disputed paternity cases. He highlighted that Section 23 of the Act even allows for imprisonment of defaulters without DNA confirmation, which he described as a violation of men’s rights.
Call for Mandatory DNA Confirmation
The petition recommends that no maintenance proceedings be initiated unless paternity is confirmed through one of three avenues: voluntary acknowledgement, a court declaration, or a DNA test. According to Dr Guta, the absence of this safeguard has led to situations where men have been jailed despite later evidence disproving their biological connection to the child.
Zimbabwe MP Wants Mandatory DNA Testing At Birth, Says Law Will Protect Women
Parliament Summons Petitioner
In response to the concerns raised, the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee has summoned Dr Guta to clarify his arguments and provide further evidence supporting the need for legislative reform.
His presentation is expected to ignite debate on whether Zimbabwe’s Maintenance Act adequately protects the rights of all parties in child support disputes.
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The post Zimbabwean Man Petitions Parliament for Mandatory DNA Tests in Maintenance Cases appeared first on iHarare News.
