RABECCA BANDA writes
A BUTCHER of Lusaka’s Chelstone Township has been divorced in a local court for being a womanizer.
Steven Phiri, 38, was sued in the Chilenje Local Court for divorce by his wife Christina Malambo, 36, of Mikango barracks.
Phiri said they got married in 2001 and have five children together.
But Malambo quickly disputed that and said their marriage started in 2007.
“It all started in 2007, when my husband cheated on me with another woman. I took him to Matero Local Court for reconciliation,” she said.
“The court reconciled us and he returned home. We were staying in Ngwerere and we later shifted to Chelstone hoping that he would change.
“He got another girlfriend. He stopped providing for me and the children. We would fight every time I asked him for money,” she said. “Disputes continued until I left our matrimonial home in September 2018. He called me to go and collect my things from the house,” she said.
“I did not go there but he packed all my clothes and other things and brought sent them to my parents’ house,” she said.
“My father tried to reason with him but he refused. He said he didn’t want me anymore because he wants to marry another woman,” she said.
“We sat down from both families several times but he has not changed. He is staying with his girlfriend when we are still married. He is busy supporting the child he has with his girlfriend while my children are suffering,” she said.
The two were appearing before presiding senior local court magistrate Patrick Nyirenda.
Phiri said his wife left the house for 8 months and that’s what prompted him to ask her to collect her things from the house.
“I called her to come home and collect her things so that she can go and stay with her parents because she didn’t want to come back home,” he said.
“I did not chase her, she packed her clothes alone and left the house. I only took the things that she had left to her parents’ house. I even gave all the household goods,” he said.
“I did not marry another woman as she alleged. It is her friend who lied to her that I got married,” she said. “The court can divorce us because that’s what she wants,” he said.
The court ordered Phiri to compensate his former wife with K4, 500 with the first installment of K1, 000 effective 10th June 2019. The court also ordered Phiri to keep the children between 10-17 years and while the other two would stay with their mother and maintain them with K200 per month.
