A shocking wave in paternity fraud across southern Africa is revealing that most men are not the biological fathers of the children they have been raising, triggering emotional turmoil and calls for legal reform.
In Botswana, the Global DNA Diagnostic Centre in Gaborone conducted over 2,500 paternity tests between 2022 and 2025, with 70 percent confirming that presumed fathers were not biologically related to the children in question.
Neighbouring Zimbabwe has reported even higher rates, with 72 percent of tested men receiving negative results, according to Global DNA Zimbabwe.
The rise in DNA testing has exposed widespread paternity fraud, leaving families shattered and raising concerns about child custody, maintenance and inheritance rights.
In Zimbabwe, the trend has been fuelled by The Closure DNA Show, a controversial television program launched in 2021, which has broadcast dramatic on-air revelations that have resulted in family breakdowns and heated public debates.
While other countries in the region such as Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa and Zambia lack formal statistics, reports indicate that paternity fraud is also widespread in these territories, adding to growing concerns across the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region.
In Eswatini, a new organisation was launched in December 2024 to respond to the complex and often devastating issues surrounding paternity disputes.
The Anti-Fabricated Paternity Organisation aims to provide support and resources to children affected by the emotional and financial fallout of such situations amid reports of a growing number of men who discover that they were unknowingly raising children who were not biologically theirs.
As cases mount, legal experts and advocacy groups are debating whether mandatory DNA testing at birth should be introduced to prevent misidentification of fathers and ensure fair parental responsibility, regardless of financial status.
“DNA testing should be made compulsory at birth so that the rightful father, regardless of financial standing or capability, can take care of his child,” DNA Diagnostic Centre said, noting that “there is a tendency of giving paternal responsibility to men based on their financial capabilities.”
However, Namibia’s Ministry of Justice and Labour Relations this week ruled out mandatory DNA testing following calls from members of parliament to address paternity fraud.
Ministry spokesperson Edmund Khoaseb said the ministry currently has no plans to make DNA testing mandatory.
This came in the aftermath of a call by ruling SWAPO parliamentarian Pohamba Shifeta for the introduction of compulsory DNA testing for all children born to unmarried couples.
With deep-seated cultural, ethical and legal implications, the wave of DNA revelations is forcing more men across SADC to seek scientific proof of paternity in a bid to protect their rights and responsibilities.
JN/APA