A judge at the Manica Judicial Court, assigned to the Minors Section, Kátia Dinís, has raised the alarm over cases in which children are being used as instruments in child maintenance proceedings, with some mothers filing claims against multiple fathers and, in certain instances, treating the payments received as a source of personal income.
According to the magistrate, cited by the newspaper O País, this practice risks undermining the development of children, particularly when financial considerations begin to overshadow the need to provide minors with a stable family environment, affection, and parental involvement.
Kátia Dinís described as deeply concerning those cases in which motherhood may be approached as a strategy for economic survival, arguing that children must not be used as a means of generating income. The judge stressed that child maintenance is a right of the child and must be applied exclusively to meeting essential needs, including nutrition, education, healthcare, and other conditions necessary for healthy development.
The magistrate also highlighted that parental responsibility extends beyond the payment of maintenance, calling for greater active participation by fathers in the lives of their children. In her view, the presence of a paternal figure — accompanied by affection, guidance, and support — plays a significant role in the growth and development of children.
Kátia Dinís called on parents to exercise greater responsibility, emphasising that the interests and well-being of the child must take precedence over any personal conflicts or individual interests on the part of either parent.
The magistrate further reinforced that resources derived from maintenance payments must be channelled exclusively towards meeting the needs of the minors concerned, and must not be converted into an instrument of personal benefit for either parent.
Source: Diário Económico
Original article: https://www.diarioeconomico.co.mz/?p=530369
