Runaway mum made to pay

MADE TO PAY: Kenanao

*Husband to receive P12,000 in skipped child maintenance

*Failure to pay, jail awaits

A runaway mum has until 23rd July to pay her husband P12,000 in child maintenance or face four months in prison.

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It could have been worse for Kenanao Marokhu, 39, as she had initially been facing a P24,000 hit on her finances after skipping 16 monthly maintenance installments.

However, Molepolole Magistrates’ Court took pity on the mother-of-two during sentencing last Friday and instead told her she would only have to pay back half the amount.

Kenanao was dragged before Molepolole Magistrates’ Court by her husband, Skhila Marokhu, 45, for failing to comply with an earlier order.

Instructed to fork out child maintenance of P1,500 a month, Kenanao failed to pay between October 2017 and January 2019.

Although she did not testify herself, during trial, the accused called her mother, Masego Othibetse, as a witness.

UNFORGIVING HUSBAND: Skhila

The old lady told court Kenanao, with Skhila’s blessing, abandoned her matrimonial home sometime in 2017 to work in Tlokweng.

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Othibetse claimed her daughter employed and paid for a maid to care for the two children.

She further said the kids were old enough to board a taxi to get to her place so she could look after them.

However, presiding Magistrate, Rosemary Khuto, dismissed this statement, pointing out Othibetse had previously told court one of the children was less than a year old.

“The accused witness made a contrary statement by saying that the children were mature enough to board a taxi to her place while earlier she said she did not know their ages; one about 8 or 10 months, the other one in pre-school. I’m wondering where maturity comes from!” exclaimed the unimpressed Magistrate.

In her mitigation, Kenanao pleaded for leniency, telling court she has since moved back in with her husband at their home in Molepolole’s Go-Rakgaimina ward.

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“I will never abandon the children again,” promised the unemployed woman.

Despite not adhering to the child maintenance order, court showed the accused compassion on the basis she must still tried to maintain her children.

Married on 12th December, 2008, despite bearing two children, the couple’s union is said to have been a rocky one.

Kenanao even filed for divorce before Lobatse High Court but the matter was recently dismissed after she failed to appear before court twice.

She now has just over 11 weeks to find P12,000 and escape a spell behind bars.

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