WOMAN WANTS CHILD’S NAME CHANGED TO VICTOR GAMEDZE

MBABANE – Normally, children share surnames with their biological fathers, but the late businessman Victor Gamedze allegedly had a child with a different surname.

A woman, who allegedly had a child out of wedlock with the late businessman, wants her son named after his father. As a result, Chantel Littler of Golf Course in Mbabane, has filed an urgent application seeking an order to change the child’s name and surname. The change of the child’s surname means that the minor will be a full beneficiary to his father’s estate which is yet to be distributed, according to Littler. Gamedze, who was a businessman and soccer administrator, died on January 14, 2018 after he was gunned down at Ezulwini Galp Filling Station. The minor was born in Richards Bay Hospital on May 3, 2017. He was named Zayne Wandile Littler. Chantelle is not the first to come out with a child allegedly fathered by Gamedze as recently, it was reported that two children surfaced and alleged that the businessman was their biological father.

Through their guardians, a toddler and another child who was said to be around 30 years old, registered their desire to be part of the beneficiaries of Gamedze’s multimillion estate. Initially, these two children were reportedly not included when the estate file was opened at the office of the Master of the High Court in Lubombo. The two were also not listed in his obituary during the memorial and funeral services in January 2018. The obituary stated that Gamedze was survived by his wife Princes Lungile and four children; Ngeti, Tiyandza, Tema and Gift. Motivating her application, Littler informed the court that the child was registered under her surname because the law governing the registration of birth certificates required that the father of the child could only be included if the certificate was registered in his presence.

She submitted that the Ministry of Home Affairs officers advised her that the law provided that particulars of the father of the child could be included if the father attest to an affidavit. “I duly informed Gamedze about the need to alter the name of the child for the completion of the registration. He deposed to an affidavit confirming the minor as his own. However, he died before attesting to the affidavit,” reads the confirmatory affidavit. Littler submitted that she had powers to apply for the change of her child’s name and surname so that the minor could fully benefit from the estate of his late father. She stated that in terms of the law, the child deserved to be treated equally with the children of the marriage when it came to inheritance. Littler applied that the matter be treated as a matter of urgency because the particulars reflecting the child’s surname ‘Littler’ had already been submitted to the Master of the High Court office.
She submitted that if the child’s name and surname remained unchanged, he was likely to be excluded during the distribution of the estate.

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