Disappearing Dad makes life of a Freedomland family hell

ANNELI NAKANYALA (46) is one of hundreds of women who regularly visit the maintenance division of the Katutura Court.

She and four of her six children live in a small kambashu in Freedomland, a suburb on the northern outskirts of Windhoek. Her first encounter with the maintenance court was in August 2000 when she applied for maintenance from the father of her two children, who lives in Oshakati.”The case took a long time”, she says, but eventually the father was ordered to pay N$200 per month for each of their sons, Andreas and Shali, now aged 17 and 19 respectively.They were then still schoolboys, but last year Andreas failed Grade 10 and Shali failed Grade 12.Nakanyala recalls that they lived with their father in the North for about six years, but says they were being neglected so she arranged for them to come and live with her in Windhoek.Even while they lived with their father, she says, she had to pay their school fees.”My children were suffering.They had no food or clothes.They went to school, but he [the father] didn’t pay their fees”.Nakanyala says she believes the father runs a vehicle workshop and is far better off than she.After the court ordered him to pay the sons maintenance, Nakanyala says, it was an uphill battle to get the money out of him.There were complications in transferring the money from Oshakati via postal order and sometimes no money arrived at all.Nakanyala says she has received no money from him since last March.According to her, he has ignored several summonses over the years to appear in court.In October a warrant was issued for his arrest and the matter became a criminal one, but to date she says the Police have not acted on this order.Last year, Shali and Andreas failed Grade 10 and 12 respectively.Andreas attended classes at Namibian College of Open Learning last year to re-sit his Grade 10 examinations, but Nakanyala says she had no money to register him for exams.Suffering from an intestinal complaint, Nakanyala has been declared unfit to work and receives a N$250-a-month welfare grant from the State.She has to eke this sum out to cover the care of her two youngest children, whose father died in 2000.Nakanyala earns a little from selling tobacco to residents in her neighbourhood and receives about N$300 a month for her two youngest from their father’s pension.”Me, I’m not working.I’m suffering.It was better when my ‘husband’ was alive.I don’t have a house or a plot here.My father and my mother are dead … and family don’t want to help others”.Nakanyala yearns to travel to the North, where she says Andreas and Shali’s father sold her plot without consulting her.”That man is not good.I don’t know why he did not want to marry me.Then he saw me with another man and he punished my children”.Her first encounter with the maintenance court was in August 2000 when she applied for maintenance from the father of her two children, who lives in Oshakati. “The case took a long time”, she says, but eventually the father was ordered to pay N$200 per month for each of their sons, Andreas and Shali, now aged 17 and 19 respectively. They were then still schoolboys, but last year Andreas failed Grade 10 and Shali failed Grade 12. Nakanyala recalls that they lived with their father in the North for about six years, but says they were being neglected so she arranged for them to come and live with her in Windhoek. Even while they lived with their father, she says, she had to pay their school fees. “My children were suffering. They had no food or clothes. They went to school, but he [the father] didn’t pay their fees”. Nakanyala says she believes the father runs a vehicle workshop and is far better off than she. After the court ordered him to pay the sons maintenance, Nakanyala says, it was an uphill battle to get the money out of him.There were complications in transferring the money from Oshakati via postal order and sometimes no money arrived at all. Nakanyala says she has received no money from him since last March. According to her, he has ignored several summonses over the years to appear in court. In October a warrant was issued for his arrest and the matter became a criminal one, but to date she says the Police have not acted on this order. Last year, Shali and Andreas failed Grade 10 and 12 respectively. Andreas attended classes at Namibian College of Open Learning last year to re-sit his Grade 10 examinations, but Nakanyala says she had no money to register him for exams. Suffering from an intestinal complaint, Nakanyala has been declared unfit to work and receives a N$250-a-month welfare grant from the State. She has to eke this sum out to cover the care of her two youngest children, whose father died in 2000.Nakanyala earns a little from selling tobacco to residents in her neighbourhood and receives about N$300 a month for her two youngest from their father’s pension. “Me, I’m not working. I’m suffering. It was better when my ‘husband’ was alive. I don’t have a house or a plot here. My father and my mother are dead … and family don’t want to help others”. Nakanyala yearns to travel to the North, where she says Andreas and Shali’s father sold her plot without consulting her. “That man is not good. I don’t know why he did not want to marry me. Then he saw me with another man and he punished my children”.