A heartbroken man from Bulawayo has turned to the courts, seeking to have his name removed from the birth certificate of a child he had raised as his own for five years.
Mkhululi Rodwell Khumalo’s life was shattered when he discovered that the child he had lovingly believed to be his daughter for five years was not biologically related to him.
Khumalo and his former wife, Sehliselo Sibanda, were married for five years and were blessed with a child before their relationship ended in divorce.
However, doubts began to creep into Khumalo’s mind regarding the paternity of the child, leading him to take a life-altering step.
Overwhelmed by suspicion, Khumalo decided to have a DNA test to determine if he was indeed the biological father of the child he had formed an unbreakable bond with.
Tragically, the test results proved his fears to be true – he was not the biological father.
The weight of the revelation was immense, especially considering his name was recorded as the father on the child’s birth certificate.
Now facing an emotional and legal dilemma, Khumalo sought to disentangle himself from the birth certificate of the child he had raised as his own.
In a poignant plea before the Bulawayo Civil Court, Khumalo applied for an order to remove his name and surname from the child’s birth certificate.
In his heartfelt affidavit, Khumalo expressed his feelings: “My former wife Sehliselo Sibanda is the first respondent, the registrar of births and deaths is the second respondent while the messenger of the court is the third respondent.
“I was married to Sibanda for five years. Our marriage was blessed with a child. I believed that I was the father of the child. My name was entered as the father of the child. Last year our marriage irrevocably broke down, and efforts to mend it failed.
“We ended up divorcing. After that, I did a DNA test to find out whether I was the real father of the child. The results showed that I’m not the biological father of the child. Now I want my name to be removed from her birth certificate.”
In a sombre and definitive ruling, presiding Magistrate Progress Murandu granted Khumalo’s request to have his name and surname removed from the child’s birth certificate.