VICTORIA KASANGA writes
A 37-year-old man of Ndola has told a local court that he chased his wife because whenever she went to visit her relatives she never used to bring any food for the family.
Conversely, each time he went to do some casual work, he would bring food or money for the family.
He said this in defence when his wife sued him for divorce because of marital disputes.
Anthar Mulenga a 28-year-old marketeer of Masala Township sued her husband, Morgan Kapila, of the same area for divorce.
She told the court that the two got married in 2007 and have two children together while K20 dowry was paid.
Ms Mulenga narrated that problems started when her husband stopped work and they went to live with her husband’s grandmother.
She said days later they built a small house in the same yard and started living together.
“My husband started spending nights out. Sometimes he could gone for weeks and whenever I asked him, he used to beat me,” she said.
The case was before Kabushi local court senior presiding magistrate Agnes Mulenga sitting with Mildred Namwizye and Evelyn Nalwizya.
She said her husband started selling their household goods and spend money carelessly.
Ms Mulenga said she told his family members and they sat down to sort out issues and he promised to change.
She said her husband did not take care of the family and that he only used to leave K5 home to buy food.
Ms Mulenga said one day her young brother was sick and admitted to a hospital and that her husband never showed up until he died.
She said during the funeral her husband came drunk and told everyone that he did not want her because she was a prostitute.
Ms Mulenga said she stayed with her relatives for three days and by the time she went back home, she found her husband had packed all his clothes and had left.
She said she later heard that he had a child with another woman.
In his statement, Mr Kapila said they lived well when they got married and that differences started when he stopped working.
He said his wife used to sell powder at the market and used to come home late and that she stopped preparing food at home.
“Whenever I complained about her behaviour of coming late, she used to get upset,” he said.
He said one day he found her sitting with a man in a compromising manner at a market and when he approached her, she got upset.
Mr Kapila said one day he went home drunk and did not know what he said to his wife and that his wife burnt him with hot water.
“When my wife went to Kapiri, we agreed that I was going to pick her up when she arrived in Ndola but surprisingly, she did not drop off in Ndola but went to Kitwe without informing me,” he said.
He said he told his wife not to come back home since she did not tell him that she was proceeding to Kitwe.
Mr Kapila said when his wife returned home, she came back without anything from her family members.
He said he was furious because each time he worked, he brought food home but in her case she just returned home without anything.
Mr Kapila said he chased his wife from home but she was not leaving.
He said his wife took him to Victim Support Unit where she complained that he mistreats her and that he only left a K5 home for food.
Mr Kapila said his wife never used to appreciate what he used to do and that each day he left money, she used to mark on the calendar.
At the end of the month, he said, she would calculate how much he left home.
He said his wife did not want to use her money to support the family and yet he would strive hard to ensure they had food on the table.
In passing judgment, the court granted divorce with no compensation to both parties and ordered Mr Kapila to support the children with K500 monthly.
