A High Court judge whose retirement income from his government pension fund totals R153 000 a month, baulked at his wife’s maintenance requests for herself and their two minor children. And he allegedly failed to transfer the first R27 512 interim maintenance monthly sum he was ordered to pay to his family by a magistrate.

The Herald reports the retired judge has now been accused of contempt of court by his estranged wife after he ignored the maintenance order to support her and their children, issued by the East London Magistrate’s court, pending their divorce.

A complaint had been laid at the Gonubie police station. The woman sought interim maintenance for herself on the basis that she had been a housewife since 2007, and had no source of income to support herself and the children.

Acting Magistrate Loyiso Godongwana found the man had a duty as the woman’s husband to support her, and that the maintenance required of him for the minor children was not in dispute.

Apart from the monthly cash amount for personal expenses of the children and their mother, groceries and electricity costs, the husband must also meet the monthly bond, municipal, gardening and DStv costs, and retain the two children on his medical aid in terms of the interim court order issued by Godongwana.

Full report in The Herald (subscription needed)