MUTINTA MULAYE writes
@SunZambian
The Boma Local Court has granted divorce to a man and woman that proved to be toxic to each other.
Before Senior Local Court Magistrate Sharon Sichone was Sydney Phiri, 40, an accountant of Ibex who said that he married Christine Ngulube, 29, of Petauke in 2016.
Phiri however said that problems started even before the two tied a matrimonial knot.
He also told the court that he lost trust in her when she travelled all the way to Nigeria without informing him.
“She lied to me that she had gone for a memorial service yet she had gotten money from different men to go to Nigeria,” Mr Phiri said
He further told the court that his wife also had a habit of asking for money from the caretakers when he gave her ample cash.
“When I leave home she remains asking for money from the caretakers and going into town to look for a job. She thinks I don’t know and that’s why I don’t trust her. I give her K4, 000 every time I get paid but she does not buy anything in the house, she can’t buy curtains or plates. She just uses the money carelessly,” Mr Phiri disclosed.
But Ngulube then told the court that while she was cohabitating with Mr Phiri, he used to beat her so much and the relationship ended for some time because of his hot temper.
She then told the court that her brother in the village started getting sick so she organized some money to go to Nigeria to find some anointing water.
“That’s how I went to Nigeria. When I came back my husband found out through someone who lent me money. He took me to his friend’s house and beat me with a plank and told me to admit who I was sleeping with in Nigeria. He also connected the pressing iron and burnt me on my back,” Ngulube said
She also told the court that her husband then accused her of trying to seduce his brother and told her to take off the dress she was wearing and he tore it into pieces with a scissors.
“When leaving he stabbed me with a knife and told me he would kill me if I continued behaving like that in his house. I stayed in the bedroom until his brother left,” Ms Ngulube disclosed.
“Another day the lights went off in the poultry. I was scared of switching them on because there were naked wires. I asked him to help me switch on the lights. He followed me behind with a shovel like I’m a dog and forced me to switch on the light,
“When I refused he hit me with the shovel on my back and locked me outside in the cold. I pleaded with him until he opened for me around 21:00hrs,” Ms Ngulube testified.
The court found that both of them had their shortcomings which started long before they even got married.
The court also found that there was lack of trust and the husband had a dangerous temper.
The divorce was granted and Mr Phiri was ordered to compensate Ms Ngulube with K8, 000 for all the pain he caused her. The two were given joint custody of the child.
