Floyd Shivambu can’t afford R5 000 maintenance

The woman who proved that Economic Freedom Fighters deputy president Floyd Shivambu is the father of her child has demanded R5 000 a month for maintenance, but apparently the MP has offered to pay only R2 000.

City Press has learnt the two are now headed back to court for an inquiry into his finances.

“The court has ordered an interim maintenance of R2 000 until they go back to court on February 11,” said a member of the legal team of the child’s mother.

Last week, paternity tests in court in Randburg proved conclusively that Shivambu was the father of the three-year-old. This after he vehemently denied paternity.

He eventually conceded that the child was his after the test results were made public.

“She is not excited. She was sick and tired of publicity. All she wanted was for Floyd to take responsibility and support the child,” said a member of the legal team representing the mother.

Asked to comment on whether his client had a problem paying R5 000 a month, Shivambu’s lawyer, Andries Nkome, said he couldn’t comment as it was a personal issue.

Last week Shivambu told City Press that all of that was behind him and that he would take care of his child.

“I will take full responsibility for raising the child and will provide for the child’s upbringing so that he grows up to be a responsible adult.

“I currently do so with my daughter, and other children and adults who are not my children or even relatives.”

When asked if he had been in a relationship with the mother, Shivambu denied that he had previously said he did not know her.

“You need to read properly. I said that I did not know her five years ago, but I never said I never knew her forever. Three years ago, I did know her,” he said.

He said he did not deny fathering the child, but he had to confirm the time frames first.

He added that he had only met the model once in 2011, and the following year a child was born.

Last month, Shivambu said that the mother’s lawyer had asked for “R10 000 a month and was apparently demanding that the money be paid from the day the child was born”.

But the lawyer, Amanda Vilakazi, denied this. “This is not true,” she said.