HARARE – Frank Buyanga has accused his ex-girlfriend Chantelle Muteswa of trying to airbrush him out of their son’s life by misrepresenting to the Registrar General that the boy’s father was unknown while acquiring the child’s birth certificate.

The millionaire property tycoon has taken the issue up with the High Court, seeking a correction to the birth certificate.

The couple has been in and out of the courts fighting over guardianship of their four-year-old son.

Through his lawyers, Rubaya and Chatambudza Legal Practitioners, Buyanga has filed a chamber application to compel registration of the minor child in his name.

Muteswa and the Registrar General of Births and Deaths, Clement Masango, were cited as first and second respondent in the application.

“I am the child’s biological father. I aver that it is in the best interests of the minor child that I be indicated as his father on the birth certificate,” said Buyanga in his founding affidavit.

“The respondent and I used to reside together in the Republic of South Africa at my apartment. The two of us terminated our relationship and the first respondent (Muteswa) took the minor child to reside in Harare. She obtained an order from the High Court of South Africa to that effect.

“When the first respondent applied for the said birth certificate, she misrepresented, omitted or neglected to indicate to the authorities that I am the father of the minor child. The result was that the birth certificate so issued does not indicate me as the father of the child.

“There is no doubt that I am the father of the minor and the first respondent accepts this,” wrote Buyanga.

Buyanga said by misrepresenting facts, Muteswa acted unlawfully.

He begged the court to uphold his request saying this would be in the interests of their minor child.

Muteswa was granted sole guardianship of the minor by Harare civil court magistrate Trevor Nytasanza. But Buyanga is also seeking sole guardianship of the same child at the High Court.

The case remains hanging after Nyatsanza made a U-turn, asking the High Court to delete the entire record and order a fresh hearing after Buyanga lodged complaints against him claiming that he has a personal relationship with his estranged girlfriend.