DIANA NSOFWA writes
A man from Chikuni Village in Monze District has sued his wife of five years for reconciliation who deserted the matrimonial home a year ago after she discovered he was mentally unstable and had hidden medical reports from Chainama Hospital.
The facts of the matter were that Trust Mandevu, 27, wanted to be reconciled with his wife Mary Mandevu, 27, whom he accused of leaving home in February 2018 because of his ‘abnormal behaviour.”
Mr Mandevu told presiding magistrate Harriet Mulenga sitting with Pauline Newa, that the two got married in 2013 after he paid half of the bride price and that they have two children together.
He said that his wife left their matrimonial home in February last year claiming she was taking the children to the clinic but did not return.
“We never argued. She just left and came to Lusaka to live with her family. I don’t even know who even gave her transport to Lusaka. She has since refused to return home,” he said.
“Mary has been staying with her grandmother since 25th February. She is even working now and has said that she will never come back, and that I should burn the household goods she left if I wanted,” said Mr Mandevu
Mary told the court that Mr Mandevu sometimes became mentally disturbed and would beat her and the children up.
“He even beat up his grandma and broke her leg when she wanted to help me as he was beating me. I lived with him and later found out that he was mentally disturbed because he even had papers from Chainama Psychiatry which he never told me about when we got married,” she said.
Mary said, “I only knew about his sickness after we had our first child. His relatives even encouraged me to leave him. He would even beat people in the road that’s how I decided to leave.”
The court adjourned the matter to 29 March as it awaits evidence of payment of the bride price.
