“Looks Can Deceive”: Experts Urge DNA Testing As Paternity Disputes Rise In Zimbabwe

Experts have urged Zimbabwean men not to rely on a child’s physical features, such as eyes, ears or complexion, when determining paternity, stressing that only DNA testing can provide definitive answers.

In Bulawayo, rising demand for paternity testing has revealed cases in which men have discovered they are not the biological fathers of children they are raising.

Data from Global DNA Zimbabwe show that 72 per cent of men tested were not the biological fathers.

At the National University of Science and Technology (NUST) Applied Genetics Testing Centre, 97 paternity cases were processed in 2025. Of these, 60 confirmed biological paternity, while 37 returned negative results.

NUST Research Fellow Vannessa Ndlovu said a paternity test costs US$210 and requires samples from the mother, child and alleged father.

“In cases where the father is deceased, the first option is the paternal grandmother, as testing the grandfather is not recommended,” she said.

Experts say demand for DNA testing is rising, with many cases driven by questions around paternity and relationship breakdowns.

They warn that physical resemblance is not a reliable basis for determining biological parentage.

In one case at the Western Commonage Magistrates’ Court in Bulawayo, Wayne Mawire of Entumbane was brought to court by his former partner, Stella Shoko, over a paternity dispute.

In her court papers, she swore: “In the month of February, I had an encounter with Wayne Mawire, and in the month of May, I tested by calculations, and the doctor’s visit confirmed that I was pregnant for three months. I had a meeting with him and advised him.”

“From childbirth (17 November 2025) up to date, the father of my child has not even a single day socially, emotionally, or financially supported me. Somehow it has disturbed my emotional and mental being regardless of family engagement (sic).”

The court ordered Mawire to pay US$40 per month towards maintenance into Stella Shoko’s EcoCash account. However, he later requested a DNA test to establish paternity.

The results from Global DNA Zimbabwe, issued on 17 February 2026, indicated a 0% probability of paternity.

Mawire was consequently excluded as the biological father and relieved of the maintenance obligation.

In a separate matter, a Bulawayo pathologist is reportedly suing his former partner for US$163,000, claiming he spent 11 years financially supporting a child later confirmed through DNA testing not to be his biological offspring.

In another case, a man in a polygamous marriage discovered through testing that he was not the biological father of his children.

More: H-Metro