OLIVER SAMBOKO Writes
A LUSAKA man has been beaten by his wife in a confrontation that ensued after he discovered that she was allegedly secretly taking anti-retro viral therapy drugs (ARVs).
Mr Steve (first Surname withheld) is nursing life threatening injuries to his head after being whacked with timber in the marital confrontation at his home.
And the man, a former Catholic brother, left the Brotherhood of Charity in Johannesburg and married his Zambian lover, “the first woman I slept with.”
Steve is regretting having left the Brotherhood of Charity for what he thought would marital bliss. In his short marriage, Steve says, he has been assaulted three times and it was this third time that broke his ‘pride’ and he decided to report to Chilenje Police.
This is Steve’s story in his own words:
I feel pity for my life that after leaving God’s calling as a Catholic brotherhood member, I have found myself in a situation like this one where I’m now being assaulted by my wife after I found her taking ARVs secretly.
I have since reported her to Chilenje police station and want justice to prevail.
Narrating his predicament to the Sun a Lusaka husband, Steve who is nursing head wounds after been beaten by the wife for the third time for querying her about the ARVs he found in the matrimonial house, said he will never forgive her and wants the police to arrest her for the physical and mental torture he is going through.
“I feel pit for myself because from the time I left brotherhood, this is the only woman that I made love with and I know by now I’m also positive.
My wife was married to a police CID and used to stay in Sikanze police camp so she knows a lot of officers such that every time I report the matter, they do nothing and instead they have been siding with her.
Even now I’m receiving strange calls from people claiming to be police officers from Woodlands police station who are threatening to deal with me if I go ahead to place charges against her.
I first met her in Kabwata last year immediately I arrived from in South Africa, where I was staying as a member of the Catholic Brotherhood of charity in Johannesburg. We decided to marry few months later.
I feel so sad that despite me revealing to her that I was negative, she tricked me into believing that she was also negative when it was all lies.
So when we decided to marry I revealed my status to her that I was negative and her also assured me that she was ok but when she fell pregnant that was when I discovered that she was taking ARVs but when I asked it about it, she became violent and assaulted me on several occasions.
When I found out that she was taking ARVs, I reported the matter to Kabwata police station but instead of helping me, they sided with her without considering what I was going through and what I’m going through to date. I had expected the police to call counselors or medical workers to help us how to deal with the issue.
It’s sad that the police have continued siding with her every time I report her violent behaviorand for me if the police had helped me the first time I reported the issue, all these problems would not have been here.
Since I discovered the issues of my wife taking ARVs, my life has not been at peace and also in addition my wife has been mistreating me using her connections in the police force especially the paramilitary working at ZNBC transmitters.
He said apart from the physical violence he has received from the wife, he has also discovered that the wife was in multiple relationships including two white men who have been sending love messages to her phone, “but every time I ask about it, I’m harassed.”
