MUTINTA MULAYE writes
INSISTENT interferences from a girlfriend has forced the Boma Local Court in Lusaka to granted divorce to a couple that has been married for a year.
Gladys Mbasina, 31, of John Laing who sued Manochi Mudenda of Chilanga told Senior Local Court Magistrate Prudence Bwalya that problems in their marriage started when she fell pregnant.
“We never stayed in peace because of his girlfriend. He used to chase me and I would be kept by my friends’ place. I never wanted to deliver my child from anywhere else but I was always in and out of my friends’ homes because he never wanted me home,” Mbasina said.
She said her husband finally told her to go to her sister’s place and she had to borrow money from the neighbours for transport.
“I went to my sister’s home in Kitwe where I delivered from. When I came back to Lusaka at my friend’s house, I told my husband I wanted to go home but he refused. He would only give me K20s which I would use to survive with my baby,
“His relatives advised him to look for a house for me after I went to Victim Support Unit and they told me they would help me with some money. I then found out there was another woman at home who is his fourth wife because I am his third,’ she said.
Her relatives refused to keep her because they knew she still a married woman.
“I know my husband doesn’t care about me because he told me ‘ine kuti nakuka tapali neko ungansange’,’ Mbasina said.
In defence Mudenda told the court that he told his wife to move to the village because he was struggling with money but she refused.
‘I do give her money and when the baby was born I sent her K200 for mealie meal and some requirements for the baby. She wanted to start feeding the baby mealie meal at 1 month and that’s when we had a huge argument. I am Tonga and our tribe allows marrying more than one woman so I’ll manage. That is not an issue,’ Mudenda said.
The court found that there were disputes in the marriage caused by Mudenda who is not concerned about his wife and child.
Divorce was granted and Magistrate Bwalya ordered Mudenda to maintain his child with K600 monthly.
