Assessing the Impact of Maintenance Laws on Child Support in Zimbabwe: A Case of Harare

Child maintenance constitutes a critical pillar in the realisation of children’s rights and overall welfare. In Zimbabwe, the primary legislative framework governing child support is the Maintenance Act [Chapter 5:09], complemented by the Matrimonial Causes Act [Chapter 5:13], the Children’s Act [Chapter 5:06], and section 81 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe (2013). Despite this progressive normative architecture, the effective enforcement of maintenance obligations remains deeply contested and practically challenging, particularly in the urban context of Harare. This study assessed the impact of maintenance laws on child support in Zimbabwe, with specific reference to Harare, employing a qualitative, interpretive case study design. Primary data were generated through semi-structured interviews with 44 participants across seven categories: magistrates, maintenance officers, legal practitioners, social welfare officers, maintenance applicants, maintenance respondents, and civil society representatives. Documentary analysis of court records and policy instruments, as well as non-participant observation of court proceedings, supplemented the interview data. Grounded in children’s rights theory, the best interests of the child principle, and feminist legal theory, the study found that while Zimbabwe’s maintenance legal framework is broadly rights-affirming, its implementation is severely hampered by institutional under-resourcing, dysfunctional enforcement mechanisms, inadequate legal awareness among applicants, the structural realities of Zimbabwe’s informal economy, and entrenched patriarchal gender norms. The study concludes that achieving the protective goals of Zimbabwe’s maintenance legislation requires comprehensive legal reform, substantial institutional capacity enhancement, modernised enforcement infrastructure, sustained public legal education, and gender-responsive court practices. Evidence-based recommendations are advanced to strengthen the maintenance system in Harare and, by extension, the broader Zimbabwean context.

child maintenance, maintenance laws, child support, Zimbabwe

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