H

ISparentsdivorcedin 2013

andThomashasbeenliving

withhisdadsince2017.He

sayshisrelationshipwithhis

motherdeterioratedafterhe

movedinwithhisfather.

“Ican’trememberthelasttimeit felt

asif weweremotherandson.I knowmy

momlovesmebutatthemomentit

doesn’tfeellikeshe’ssupportingwhatI’m

tryingtoaccomplish,”hesays.

“MymomfeelsnowI’mover 18 sheno

longerneedstosupportmefinancially.

Butasa first-yearstudentI can’texpect

myfathertopayforeverything.It’sher

responsibilitytocontributetomyter-

tiaryeducation.”

Thomasshowedgreatpromisewhen

hematriculatedfromParktownBoys’

HighSchoolinJohannesburgandwas

thetopaccountingstudentinhisgrade.

Armedwiththepromiseofa bursary

anddreamsofa careerasa charteredac-

countant,hedecidedtostudyatWits.

ButLouwnatoldRapportnewspaper

hersonhadn’tbotheredtoapplyforany

bursaries.

Thomastellsa differentstorythough.

Afewmonthsbeforehewassettoma-

triculate,hisprestigiousschoolwashit

byscandal.

InNovember 2018 a formersports

coachattheschoolwassentencedto 23

yearsinprisonafterhewasfoundguilty

ofsexualassault.Thomasclaimsthe

scandalcosthimhischancesofa possi-

blebursary.

“Afterthatincidentthefirmthatwas

willingtogivemea bursarywithdrew.

I stillhaduniversityadmissionbutno

bursary.”

Hestartedhisstudiesatthebeginning

ofthisyearandmovedintoa studentres-

idencebutthefinancialburdenbecame

toomuchforhisdad.“I hadtomoveout,”

Thomassays.

Thomasis oneofthreesiblingsandhis

eldestbrotherisworkingonhisdoctor-

ateinchemicalmicrobiologyatWits.

“Mymomsupportedmybrotherinhis

studies.Whycan’tshedothesamefor

me?”

Thomassaysheworkstwojobs– he’s

a waiterandalsodeliverspizzasover

weekends–andusesthisincometo

commutefromhisdad’shouseinRood-

epoorttoWitsaswellastobuytext-

books.

“I havenotimetoleadthelifeofa nor-

malvarsitystudentandtosocialisewith

myfriendsandmeetnewpeople,”he

says.

T

HOMAS is aware that

thousandsofyoungSouth

Africanscan’taffordtogo

touniversityandthatit’s

a dailystrugglejusttosur-

vive.Healsorealisesmany

peoplethinkhe’saskingfor

toomuchandthathe’sthe

b adguy.

“Buttheydon’tknowthefullstoryand

theydon’tunderstand,”heinsists.

“I’mnota spoiltbratandI’mnottrying

tomilkmymotherforeverypenny.I just

wantthebestpossiblefutureformyself.”

Hesaysthedecisiontosuehismom

wasn’ttakenlightly.“Thiswasn’tsome-

thingI decidedona whim.I justwant

thebestopportunitiesinlifeandtomake

mydreamscometrue.”

Louwnasaysherdivorcesettlement

wasreviewedin October 2017 and

amended,“soI onlyhadtopayaccording

tomymeans”.

Shethenworkedoutwhatshecould

afford,shetellsYOU.Sheaddsherrela-

tionshipwithhersonsouredbecause

shehadn’tbeenwillingtosponsorhis

lifestyle.

“Hisfatherdecidedtosendhimtothe

mostexpensiveresidenceatWits.He

doesn’tneedtoliveinanexpensiveresi-

dence,havea carorleadanextravagant

lifestyle.

“IfI hadthemoney,I’dabsolutelypay

forhimbutmysituationdoesn’tallow

forit.Justlikeallthestudentswhodon’t

havewealthyparents,hehastowork

weekendstoaffordluxuries.”

Butit seemsThomasis havingnoneof

it,Louwnaadds.“Hedidn’tevensendme

a messageonMother’sDay.”S

LEFT:Louwnasayshersonshouldworkpart-

timetosupporttheexpensivelifestylehewants.

ABOVE:Thomas’father,Craig,sayshe’ssingle-

handedlysupportinghissonfinancially.

Parentssometimesmistakenlybelievetheycanstoppayingmaintenanceassoonas

a childturns18,saysRichardChemaly,a lawyerfromBloemfontein.“Butparentsarefi-

nanciallyresponsiblefortheiroffspringuntilthechildisindependentandcantakecare

ofthemselves.”

Acourtwillconsidercertainexceptions,Chemalysays.“Ifa childhasDownsyndrome

orismentallydisabled,parentsmustpaymaintenanceuntiltheendoftheirchild’slife.

“Butinthecaseofa childwitha universitydegreeoronewhohasopportunities

they’rechoosingnottoexploit,theparentscandecidewhenthey’regoingtodiscontin-

uemaintenance.Thecourtwilllikelyruleinfavouroftheparents,dependingonthe

circumstances.”

Ifparentsaren’tpayingmaintenance,thechildcangotocourt.“Thecourtwilldeter-

minehowmuchmaintenanceisduetothechild,dependingonthelifestylethey’reac-

customedtoandtheparents’financialmeans.”

Headdsa childcan’tclaimanarbitraryamount.“Thecourtwillprioritiseimportant

needssuchasfood,clothing,accommodation,medicalcareandclassfees.Ifthechild

isaccustomedtoa lifeofluxury,thecourtwillconsiderthattoo.”

WHO’S RESPONSIBLE?

RAPPORT/ELIZABETH SEJAKE, FACEBOOK

you.co.za 8 AUGUST 2019 | (^9)
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