RABECCA BANDA writes
A local court in Lusaka has dissolved a fish monger’s marriage for failing to support his family and ordered him to compensate his ex-wife with K2, 000.
The Chilenje Local Court-dissolved the marriage of Harrison Phiri, 36, of Mtendere Township and Eugeni Mwenya, 39, of Chilenje Township, who sued him for failing to provide for the family.
Appearing before presiding local court magistrate Patrick Nyirenda, siting with senior local court magistrates Ackim Phiri and Harriet Mbewe, Mwenya said she married Phiri in 2017 and they had two children together.
Mwenya said her husband was not financially stable when they married but she gave him some money to start a fish selling business in her effort to make the union work.
“I was determined to make the marriage work, so I gave him capital to start selling fish,” she said.
Mwenya said, “He became irresponsible and I ended up paying rentals, school fees but the situation just became difficult for me.”
“I got a K3, 000 loan to help boost his fish business but I soon found myself in debts. He would always give excuses every time I asked him for money for rentals,” she said.
“The landlord chased us out of the house when I was expecting our second child and we started living apart,” said Ms. Mwenya.
She told the court she wanted to be divorced as she was tired of the marriage with Mr. Phiri.
She said, “I cannot manage to keep a grown man who does not even provide for me and the children.”
But in his defense, Zulu said he left his first wife for Mwenya after she begged him to do so and that he paid for their wedding.
“We both have children out of wedlock. Her children are doing well because she has been using our money to sponsor them while mine have been suffering,” he said.
“I always pay rent from the profit which I get from the business but she is the one who misuses the money,” she said.
The court granted the divorce and ordered Zulu to compensate his ex-wife with K2, 000.
He was also ordered to pay a monthly child maintenance fee of K200.
