Harare – Former Dynamos captain and Warriors player Ocean Mushure is facing serious accusations of neglecting his 12-year-old daughter, a situation that has allegedly forced the child to drop out of school. The claims come from Noreen Sixpense, the child’s mother, who says Mushure has failed to provide maintenance for their daughter for the past three years.
Mushure, a familiar name in Zimbabwean football, represented the nation in FIFA World Cup qualifiers and featured at the 2016 CHAN finals. His career saw him playing for Monomotapa United before stints in the Zambian top-flight league with Lusaka Dynamos and Kabwe Warriors.
According to Noreen Sixpense, her relationship with Mushure began while he was already married. Despite this, they had a child together. When Mushure moved to Zambia for his football career, he took Noreen and their daughter with him, renting them a separate house while he resided with his wife elsewhere. However, the relationship eventually deteriorated, leaving their daughter to bear the brunt of the fallout.
Despite a court order instructing Mushure to pay US$150 per month in maintenance, Noreen alleges that he has not paid a single cent in the past 36 months, accumulating arrears of US$5,400.
“He has been dodging me for the past three years, and each time I make a breakthrough after contacting him, he makes empty promises,” Noreen stated. “I am now fed up with his lies, and it’s breaking my heart that my daughter, who is supposed to be in school now, is not attending any formal education.”
Noreen recounted the period when Mushure was playing in Zambia: “When Ocean moved to Lusaka Dynamos in Zambia, he asked me and our child to move with him after he said he couldn’t afford sending us money back home. He stayed with his wife while we stayed at another house where he visited occasionally. When his contract ended, he moved back to Zimbabwe while I remained behind in Zambia to do menial jobs. That’s how I have been surviving, but that’s not enough for me and the child.”
Faced with financial difficulties, Noreen made the difficult decision to send her daughter back to Zimbabwe to live with her grandmother. “About three years ago, I sent my daughter to stay with my mother. She has been on-and-off school because Ocean is not paying for her school fees or upkeep,” she explained. “My child is now failing to blend in with other school-going kids, Ocean ari kuitira mwana hutsinye, achingotaura zvekunyepa,” she lamented, expressing her anguish over the situation.
Shanice Nyahoda, a relative who is assisting in caring for the child, echoed Noreen’s sentiments, describing Mushure as an irresponsible man. “Ocean is a liar,” Shanice stated. “After I took over guardianship of the child, he promised to contribute towards her upkeep, but he hasn’t been forthcoming. I have my own children who are still in school, and I can’t afford sending her to school on my own. I can only offer her accommodation and food.”
Shanice expressed concern about the child’s well-being, noting, “The child is brilliant but reserved. She is growing up and already realising that she is not attending school because she knows other kids are in school when she is at home.” She appealed to other footballers, saying, “Vakomana vebhora musaita zvamusingakwanise muchirega vana vachizotambura kudai,” urging them to avoid similar situations that cause children to suffer.
Adding another layer to the story, Shanice revealed that she had been contacted by another woman who also claims to have a child with Mushure. The two women are reportedly planning to take legal action against the former footballer. “We are just waiting for Noreen to return so that she can report Ocean to the police. He thinks he is wise when the law simply demands that he pays the maintenance,” Shanice said. “There is another woman who is also claiming that she has a child with Ocean, and he has neglected the child too.”
When contacted for comment, Mushure initially denied knowing Noreen. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, Noreen wamuri kutaura handimuzive,” he claimed. However, he later admitted to having a child with her, stating, “Ehe ndine mwana naye asi zvaari kutaura handizvizive, akatora mwana about two to three months ago and we haven’t made any contact.”
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