A pastor from the End Time Messages church in Chiredzi has been ordered to pay child support after DNA tests confirmed he fathered two children with the woman whose wedding he officiated.
Farai Hatirarami, who believed he was the father of the children for years, was left devastated after the truth came to light. His marriage to Eunice Mururi crumbled after the paternity test revealed that Pastor Vhetu, the man who had blessed their union, was the biological father of their 8-year-old and 4-year-old children.
Mururi took Pastor Vhetu to the Chiredzi Magistrate Court, demanding $700 in child maintenance for her two children. In court, Vhetu shockingly admitted to fathering the children but pleaded for a lower maintenance fee.
He argued that his income as a pastor came largely from church tithes and offerings, often received as food donations rather than money.
Represented by lawyer Farai Chauke, the pastor offered to pay 150 Zimbabwean dollars per child, citing his financial limitations as both a pastor and a farmer who already had eight other children to support.
During the hearing, Vhetu also revealed that he has no formal bank account and only uses EcoCash for transactions. He volunteered to cover school uniforms and fees for the children but suggested new clothes should be bought only twice a year. In a sarcastic remark, he stated, “Only Elon Musk’s children can afford new clothes every month.”
Magistrate Diana Musiiwa rejected Vhetu’s offer, describing it as “unreasonable and insincere.” She ruled that the pastor must pay $175 a month for the children’s upkeep. The verdict has sent shockwaves through the local community, where many are in disbelief that the pastor not only fathered the children but also officiated the marriage of their mother.
The case has stirred public conversation around trust, morality, and the responsibilities of spiritual leaders in personal matters.
