‘I had sex for snacks’

By CHATULA KAMPO –
A NINETEEN-YEAR-OLD pupil of Masaiti District sparked laughter when she told the Ndola Local Court that she was forced to engage herself in sexual activities to find money for snacks at school.
Maureen Chirwa, a grade nine pupil told the court that she was sleeping with her boyfriend Mulenga Miselu, 23, so that he could give her some money for food during break time at schools.
However, the relationship went sour as Chirwa became pregnant and Mulenga failed to provide necessary support.
This was a case in which Chirwa sued Miselu, a farmer in the district, and asked the court to compel the defendant to provide the necessary support towards the pregnancy.
Chirwa told the court that the defendant was giving her K50 every time after making love with him which was enough for snacks at school.
She said although Mulenga was refusing to be responsible for the pregnancy, the defendant was the one who impregnated her because he was the only man she had slept with.
Miselu told the court that she started sleeping with the defendant in July this year and that the last time they used the condom it burst.
Mulenga, however, denied impregnating Mulenga saying he had only slept with her twice and that he had used a condom.
He told the court  that  he was shocked to learn that the complainant was four months  pregnant when  he only slept with her in September this year.
“I knew the complainant in June this year, we had the first sexual intercourse in September and her pregnancy is four months old,” he said.
“That is why I have been refusing to support her because I do not think I am the one who impregnated her.”
Presiding magistrate Oscar Kalaba who was sitting with Magistrate Rosemary Muke and Dismus Katampi censured Chirwa for engaging in sex for cash with the aim of buying food when she had parents who could do that for her.
The court, however, ordered Mulenga to pay a monthly K200 towards the pregnancy before the couple go for a DNA test to determine the paternity of the child.

Times of Zambia