RABECCA BANDA writes
@SunZambian
A LUSAKA woman has been divorced in the Chilenje Local Court for threatening to kill her husband.
Joseph Bwalya, 29, general worker of Bauleni Township sued his wife Ruth Chileshe, 27 a businesswoman of the same area for divorce.
The two were appearing before senior local magistrate Ackim Phiri sitting with senior local court magistrate Harriet Mbewe and presiding local court magistrate Patrick Nyirenda.
The two got married in 2011 and have two children together.
Bwalya said they have been having disputes from the beginning of their marriage.
“Three months in marriage, my wife started threatening to stub me with a knife over small disputes. A few months later, she became pregnant and went to live with my relatives in the village. She lived there until the child was born and turned three years,
“She begged me to allow her to return home and I told her that I didn’t have money. A few weeks later, she returned home without informing me. We continued living together but she did not change her violent behaviour,” he said.
Bwalya sad on June, 21 she stabbed him with a knife and hit him with a cooking stick on his forehead.
“I want the marriage to end because she will kill me one day,” Bwalya said.
In defence, Chileshe said her husband was promiscuous and greedy.
“When I returned home from the village, I caught him with a girlfriend in our house. We sat down and I forgave him. I worked hard and started doing my own business but when he got a job, he refused to spend his money,
“He doesn’t provide for me and children. He beats me and locks me outside the house, sometimes I sleep in the toilet,” she said.
Chileshe broke down in tears while explaining how she is mistreated by her husband.
The court granted the couple divorce and ordered Bwalya to compensate his former wife with K6, 000 with the first installment of K1, 000 effective August.
It further ordered that children should remain with their mother and Bwalya to maintain them with K200 a month.