Harare magistrate Ruth Moyo yesterday acquitted Norton MP Temba Mliswa and accused the State of entangling itself in “black-market rates.”

The legislator was being accused of defaulting on maintenance by not paying Hellenic School $1 216 000 in fees for his two minor children.

Magistrate Ruth Moyo criticised the State for its claim that Mliswa did not fulfil his obligations to the school in paying fees.

The judgment said he satisfied his obligations according to the law.

Moyo dismissed what the State presented as the reason for Mliswa’s arrears, stating that it “got caught up in the realm of black-market rates”.

Temba Mliswa Acquitted in Landmark School Fees Case

She found that Mliswa had paid his obligations in compliance with the law as Zimbabwe operates in a multi-currency system.

“He settled his obligations at law.

“It should be noted that no agreement between the accused and the school was presented, hence he’s not bound by the payment systems of the school.

“Whatever policies and pricing models must be read in compliance with the law because what he did was in compliance with the law and I find no fault in what he did.

“Hellenic rules, beliefs and systems don’t override the law by paying the school fees in Zimbabwe dollars.

“He was backed by the law and, legally speaking, he settled his obligations because we are in a multi-currency system.”

Magistrate Moyo also ruled that the school representative, George Economou, confirmed that the school was operating illegally on their ‘pricing models’ as they don’t work them out in accordance with the official bank rate.

He insisted that their pricing models have got nothing to do with rates.