Who’s ya daddy: Lawmakers want paternity fraud criminalised

Lawmakers in the National Assembly have called for the criminalisation of paternity fraud, arguing that men who unknowingly raise children who are not biologically theirs suffer significant psychological and financial trauma.They said this has devastating consequences for both the men and the children involved.The issue took centre stage during Tuesday’s parliamentary session, with several MPs advocating for legislation to compel non-married couples to undergo DNA testing to confirm paternity at birth.Affirmative Repositioning (AR) MP Tuhafeni Kalola argued that some women exploit the legal system, causing emotional and financial ruin to men who later discover that the children they believed to be theirs are not.“This paternity fraud needs to be taken seriously. It should be criminalised,” Kalola insisted. “Men are being given children that are not biologically theirs. Some women are doing this for economic survival. But it doesn&#039;t only affect men - it affects the children too. "Just imagine, at my age, my mother tells me, ‘No, no, no, this father you’re sending money to is not your real father&#039;."Kalola added, “We have sex for pleasure and for reproduction. You can&#039;t just assign a child to someone who is not the father. Men must be taken seriously, and the women who commit paternity fraud should be arrested. "Imagine being told one day that the child you&#039;ve been raising isn’t yours - it’s deeply psychological. As the boy child of this country, we need protection.”Former environment and tourism minister Pohamba Shifeta echoed Kalola’s sentiments, proposing mandatory DNA testing for unmarried couples to prevent such scenarios.“There are men who have committed suicide after discovering that the children they raised — sometimes for seven years - were not theirs. In some cases, two or more men end up supporting the same child, only to find out that none of them is the biological father,” Shifeta said.He further emphasised the emotional toll on children: “Let us also consider the interests of the child. Imagine a child being raised to love someone as a father, only to be told after five or 10 years that he is not their father. That trauma can stay with a child for life. This is a serious issue.”Popular Democratic Movement (PDM) leader McHenry Venaani also weighed in, stating that only the mother truly knows the identity of a child’s biological father.“You’ve raised children with love and care, and then suddenly she tells you, ‘These kids are not yours.’ Maybe it’s because another man is more successful or better dressed - now she claims he’s the father. That’s abuse,” Venaani said.The debate sparked a broader discussion on men&#039;s rights and the emotional well-being of children caught in cases of paternity misrepresentation. No formal resolution was adopted, but legal reform calls continue gaining traction among lawmakers.

Who’s ya daddy: Lawmakers want paternity fraud criminalised

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Namibian Sun 2025-07-01

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Who’s ya daddy: Lawmakers want paternity fraud criminalised

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Namibian Sun 2025-07-01

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