In an unexpected turn of events, the wedding plans of Pastor Learnmore Mutenha, hailing from the AFM Church in Kadoma, were abruptly disrupted by a warrant of arrest for unpaid maintenance. The pastor found himself in possession of the warrant just hours before his eagerly anticipated wedding ceremony, which was scheduled to take place at the picturesque Waterpot Gardens.
The warrant was issued in response to claims made by Mutenha’s ex-wife, Janet Badza, with whom he shares two children aged nine and 14. According to Janet, Mutenha has failed to fulfil his maintenance obligations since January, leaving her in a difficult financial situation. She further revealed that this was not the first time Mutenha had fallen behind on his payments, as he had previously been warned by the Harare Magistrates’ Court.
In a desperate plea, Mutenha approached the police officer who served him with the warrant, expressing his willingness to surrender himself at the Harare Central Police Station the following day. In an act of temporary respite, the sympathetic officer agreed to hold onto the warrant until after the completion of the wedding ceremony.
Janet, clearly frustrated by the situation, expressed her disappointment with Mutenha’s behaviour, labelling him as irresponsible and heartless towards their children. She also criticized the involvement of Mutenha’s church overseer’s wife, who apparently works at the Kadoma Police Station, insinuating that she may have influenced the delay in executing the warrant.
“Pastor Mutenha is very irresponsible and heartless towards his own children.
“Panemudzimai waOverseer wavo anoshandira paKadoma Police Station ndiye azoita kuti asasungwe asati achata.
“It is not his first time to rub shoulders with the police for not supporting his children. He took his time to prepare for a wedding without showing responsibility for his kids,” Janet told H-Metro.
Mutenha and Janet’s marriage ended in divorce back in 2015, and Mutenha had previously faced arrest for defaulting on maintenance payments, as warned by a Harare magistrate just last year.
The circumstances surrounding Pastor Learnmore Mutenha’s wedding being overshadowed by a warrant of arrest for unpaid maintenance have undoubtedly added an unexpected twist to an otherwise joyous occasion. The claims made by Janet Badza regarding Mutenha’s alleged neglect of his parental responsibilities have cast a shadow of doubt over his dedication to his children. As the situation unfolds, it remains to be seen how Mutenha will navigate this legal predicament while balancing his personal and religious obligations.
