MWENSE WIFE JAILED FOR ASSAULTING POLYGAMOUS HUSBAND
THE Mwense Magistrates Court has sentenced a 39-year-old woman of Nakabeka Village in Chief Lubunda’s Chiefdom to 6 months simple imprisonment for assaulting her polygamous husband.
Appearing before Magistrate Fred Mwangala was Florence Chota who on her own admission of guilt was charged with one count of Assault Occasioning Bodily Harm contrary to Section 248 of the Penal Code Chapter 87 of the Laws of Zambia.
Facts before court were that on April 6th, 2025, Chota assaulted the husband identified as Augustine Kabila after hitting him with a stick on his right eye after a marital dispute.
It is alleged that on the material day, Kabila had gone to the now convict’s house to ask for their children aged 12 and 9 respectively to accompany him to the field to harvest maize.
Chota said Kabila whom she has been married to for 19 years as a first wife had left his matrimonial home to go and stay with the second wife and could only show up only when he wanted the children to help him with field work.
She added that on the material day, Kabila started beating their 9-year-old son after he refused to accompany him to the field adding that Kabila had a tendency using their children after which he would take part of the harvest to his second wife.
In this matter, Kabila who admitted marrying the second wife, also testified that Chota hit him with a stick on the right ear leaving him with a deep cut.
In mitigation, Chota asked for forgiveness and pleaded for the court’s leniency saying her and the son were also beaten by the complaint.
She also complained that Kabila does not sleep at her place despite having been reconciled by the local court but only shows up when he wants to use the children for manual work.
However, in passing judgement, Magistrate Mwangala observed that there were better ways of resolving marital disputes as opposed to physical fights which in most cases had resulted in loss of lives.
Zanis