ENGLISH
MBABANE – Bishop Vincent Hlatshwako, who recently engaged to be married, is facing a court application seeking to recover E110 709.51 in alleged unpaid child maintenance and school-related expenses.
Hlatshwako, of Tubungu in the Manzini region, is the respondent in an urgent application filed by Busisiwe Happiness Matsebula in the High Court of Eswatini.
Matsebula is asking the High Court to authorise the attachment and sale of Hlatshwako’s movable and immovable property to recover the outstanding amount for their children.
In her founding affidavit, Matsebula states that the court ordered Hlatshwako on June 25, 2026, to contribute E13 000 monthly towards the maintenance of their two minor children, Siphetho and Avumile Hlatshwako.
She alleges that Hlatshwako paid only E4 500 for September, leaving an outstanding maintenance balance of E8 500.
The application further states that the court ordered him to contribute two-thirds of the tuition fees and school-related expenses for the children, who attend Enjabulweni School.
“Hlatshwako has contributed only E6 000 towards their school expenses this year, leaving E102 209.51 outstanding as his share,” Matsebula claims.
The veracity of these allegations is still to be tested in court and the bishop is yet to file his answering papers.
She states that the total school-related expenses include tuition fees, uniforms, stationery and transport, as well as an outstanding balance carried forward by the school.
Matsebula alleges that the school warned on September 9, 2026, that the children would no longer be allowed to attend classes until the outstanding amounts were settled.
She says she approached the school principal to negotiate for the children to continue learning while she sought to resolve the financial dispute with Hlatshwako.
The applicant further alleges that attempts by her attorneys to have Hlatshwako comply with the court order did not yield positive results.
She argues that the matter requires urgent intervention because final examinations are approaching and the children risk losing valuable learning time if they are excluded from school.
The application seeks an order allowing execution against Hlatshwako’s property to recover the alleged arrears, together with legal costs. The matter is pending in court.