Lusaka Mayor Miles Sampa has filed an affidavit in opposition for an order for maintenance of a child in the Lusaka High court, requesting his ex-wife to find a cheaper school for their child saying the current fees of K45,000 per term are too high.

And Sampa says the K30,300 being demanded by his ex-wife as maintenance of the child is unreasonable, as he doesn’t have enough resources to raise that amount and can only afford to contribute K2,000 as monthly maintenance.

His ex-wife, Mwika Mwenechanya, an economist at Bank of Zambia, had filed an affidavit of support of summons for an order for maintenance of the child of the family in the Lusaka High court, seeking the courts indulgence in granting the application for child maintenance and an order compelling Sampa to settle the current school fees.

Mwika had disclosed that since the presentation of the petition for the dissolution of the marriage, Sampa had declined to make any financial contribution towards the child’s monthly needs and also declined to pay her current school fees.

She stated that unless the outstanding school fees in the sum of $13,090 were remitted before the due date, the child would not be permitted to attend classes.

Mwika stated that she was aware that Sampa had been disposing off family property and had in fact sold stand number 1/28619/M Lusaka for the sum of K200,000 and was in possession of funds to pay the school fees.

She further stated that Sampa was also earning a rental income from the 10 flats at the matrimonial home, which generated not less than K50,000 per month.

Mwika stated that she believed Sampa had sufficient income to pay the child’s school fees, however he was deliberately declining to do so.

“However, I’m aware that currently in an attempt to avoid financial responsibility he has evicted the tenants. That I’m aware that the respondent is merely trying to frustrate all efforts to have him committed to contribute towards the child’s upkeep and school fees. That I’m also aware that the respondent spends excessive sums in an attempt to further his political career in the upcoming Lusaka mayoral elections,” read the affidavit.

However, in an affidavit in opposition filed on August 24, Sampa disclosed that he had no income since 2016 when he ceased to be Deputy minister in the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, hence he was not able to pay the full tuition fees of the child who was currently at American International School.

“I’m duly authorised to depose to these facts from the information within my personal knowledge. That I have been responsible for the payment of the school fees as well as other needs of the child of the family Emmanuella Musonda Sampa. That I have had no income since 2016 when I ceased employment as Deputy minister in the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. Hence I have not been able to pay the full tuition fees for the child every term at American International School,” read the affidavit in opposition.

Sampa stated that the 10 flats referred to by the petitioner, were on the same property as the house he lived in and were developed through a house loan he obtained from Stanbic Bank before he married the petitioner.

He disclosed that the income obtained from those flats was used to service and repay that loan and as the result he did not have enough money to even maintain the flats.

“As the result of this I have not had enough money to maintain the flats in a proper condition affecting the occupancy of the flats. The income from the flats has been reduced significantly due to their poor condition as only six out of 10 flats are currently occupied on a monthly income of only K21,000,” read the affidavit in opposition.

Sampa stated that the monthly mortgage repayment on the mortgage was K28,000 and hence the entire K21,000 realised from the flats was used to service the loan at Stanbic Bank.

He stated that he had not neglected to pay school fees for the child as evidenced by his payment of K25,000 on August 9, 2018 towards her tuition fees.

Sampa stated that he intended for that to be the final payment at the American International school as he would not be able to pay the exorbitant fees at K45,000 per term.

He stated that he had other four children he supported financially by paying their school fees and monthly maintenance.

Sampa disclosed that one of the children was also enrolled at American International School but was transferred to a cheaper school because he could not afford to pay the high fees.

“It is the same vein that the petitioner should find a cheaper school at which Emmanuella should be enrolled next term. That I can afford to contribute the sum of K30,000 per term towards school fees,” read the affidavit.

He stated that on his employment as Lusaka Mayor, his monthly salary was K22,000 and therefore the petitioners demand for monthly maintenance of K30,300 was unreasonably high and could not be sustained on his salary.

He stated his ex-wife, the petitioner, was an economist at the Bank of Zambia and was therefore not financially handicapped and could contribute towards the maintenance of the child of the family.