MISTRUST, STINGINESS LEADS TO DIVORCE

Sun, 29 Oct 2017 12:19:53 +0000

By Frank Nyambe

A Lusaka couple had their marriage dissolved by a local court in Lusaka because of persistent differences and mistrust.

The court said the couple could not cooperate and therefore had no choice but to end the marriage.

The two got married in 2012 and have two children. Dowry was paid.

In this case, Hebert Zulu, 53, a builder has sued his wife Dorothy Banda, 23, a business woman of John Laing compound for divorce.

Banda told the local court that her husband was in the habit of hiding his salary and that he was taking advantage of her because she was young.

But Zulu told senior court magistrates Abbyshine Michelo, Mubukwanu Matakala and Esther Mulomba at Kanyama Local Court that problems started in August 2017 when Banda started going to her bar with their baby despite being advised to stop.

He explained that last year when he went to Mongu for work his friends told him that Banda usually went home at 02:00hrs hours.

‘’Last week Banda locked her bar and after I texted her, she replied that she had not finished what she was doing and wouldn’t come home.

“She left me with the baby and I even reported her to police.’’ said Zulu.

In defence, Banda accused Zulu of hating her relative the couple was keeping and was not paying for child’s school fees.

She explained that it was Zulu who advised her to sell and manage the bar on her own because workers were stealing.

But Zulu, narrated, became jealous because she was not introducing him to her customers as her husband.

Banda said Zulu never showed her his salary and that whenever he brought some money home, he would claim it was for his workplace.

“Zulu was not providing for the family and when I told him that he was taking advantage because I am young, he said he was married with children.

“I did not come home at 02:00 hours and when I come home Zulu insults me. I don’t want marriage because he is not helping me,’’ said Banda.

The court acknowledged the couple’s problems, saying the two could not cooperate.

The court therefore granted the couple divorce without compensation but ordered Zulu to pay a maintenance fee of K500 per month for the children.

The court also ordered the couple to share household property acquired together equally.