MBOMBELA – It is possible to achieve success in the dreaded maintenance court – even without a lawyer. “The system was not designed to fail,” explains Mr Muhammed Vawda, local law student. “Government gives you the means to obtain the money that rightfully belongs to your children. Use the system.”
Mothers who are due maintenance payments from their children’s fathers often find themselves running into a brick wall when the man refuses to pay or stops making payments. But Vawda recently achieved success when he helped a friend out whose file was stuck in the local court after she had relocated to Pretoria.
“The mother must remember that the money rightfully belongs to her children and she must fight for it. Even if she feels she doesn’t need it, that extra money belongs to her child.” The secret is persistence.
His friend, who will remain anonymous to protect the identity of her two children, requested the Nelspruit court on October 1, 2013 to transfer her file to Pretoria for her case to proceed. She is claiming maintenance from their father.
Since she had already relocated, she asked Vawda for help when the situation didn’t change. He approached the maintenance clerk at the court on Tuesday morning of last week. He insisted on speaking to her superior and went to see the court manager immediately. He then spoke to the area court manager, who expedited the process and the file arrived in Pretoria on Thursday afternoon.
It took Vawda a total of 45 minutes. “I was impressed with the humane approach and how it improved as I went higher up. Mothers must never give up.
“The primary responsibility towards any child lies in the hands of the father and mother. Divorce and break-ups often result in hard-heartedness of men, and reciprocated frustration of women. As a result, the children become pawns.
“A man is real man when he is a good father. Maintenance is the child’s right and the parent’s responsibility.”
Vawda’s tips for getting things done
• Get written undertakings from officials
• Follow up on it the day it expires
• Immediately approach superiors – the control improves higher up the ladder
• Make a note of who you spoke to and when
• Don’t be rude – always be respectful.
