Lusaka couple separates after 22 years of cohabiting
A 45-YEAR-old woman is to return to her Cassava-growing town of Mpika empty-handed after the Lusaka Boma Local Court ruled that her 22-year stay with a man she believed was her husband was a mere sleepover.
This came to light during a court hearing in which Kazhima Mafula aged 46 of Kabanana township in Lusaka had sued Mercy Machimba for divorce.
Mafula had run to the court to complain that his wife of 22 years had been preventing him from scoring in the crucial nightly fixtures of labour ward qualifiers and therefore wanted her disqualified from the institution of marriage.
Besides denying him entry in her tunnel of sweetness, Mafula also cried to the court that Mercy was also disrespectful and did not perform her wifely duties of washing for him.
However, in explaining away Mafula’s reason of dragging her to court for divorce, Mercy testified that he had only done so because she had reported him to Police after he failed to pay for the household goods which had mysteriously vanished from their matrimonial home while she was visiting her family in Mpika.
Mercy told the court she was forced to report her husband to the police because he was no longer supporting the family financially as he had married a woman in Lundazi were he would go and stay for months forgetting about her and the two children.
She said despite, complaining to his family about his behavior, her concerns went unattended to.
But acting as Video Assistance Referee (VAR) in the matter, Magistrate Bertha Zulu ruled Mafula’s attempts of securing his conjugal rights offside as he had not forked out tournament participation fee which was supposed to be paid in form dowry.
The court ruled that the couple’s union and bedroom enjoyment which resulted in the birth of two children aged 20 and 14 respectively could not be classified as marriage because Mafula had not committed to it in form dowry payment.
Magistrate Zulu dismissed the case saying the couple was merely cohabiting and therefore could go their separate ways without the court being involved.
By Mwiche Nalwimba
Kalemba