Husband begs court to dissolve his marriage

A LUSAKA husband who does not trust his wife of 21 years has begged the Chawama local court to dissolve his marriage because she has a lot of male friends.
Gideon Musonda, 42, of John Howard township told senior court magistrates Sarah Nyendwa and Mubukwanu Matakala that he does not trust his wife Beatrice Nampokolwe, 39, because she entertains a lot of male friends some of whom visit their matrimonial home.
This was in a case in which Musonda sued Nampokolwe of Chawama Township for divorce. The two got married in 1994 in Mbala and bride price was paid. The couple has four children together.
“I started suspecting she was having extra marital affairs when she started making secret phones calls. Sometimes when I walk in on her during a phone conversation, she would quickly cut the line. So I started secretly recording her phone conversations,” he said.
Musonda said his fears were confirmed when he played back one conversation Nampokolwe had with one of her male friends where she was planning to meet him at night.
“I confronted her about it but she denied so I took the matter to my-laws. After a meeting, we were reconciled. But after a few months, she went back to entertaining her male friends even when she knows I don’t like it. I do not want this marriage dissolved but her behaviour is what has forced me to bring her here,” he said.

But in her statement, Nampokolwe denied the allegations saying the only person she talks to on a regular basis is her mother and her brothers.
“He thinks I talk to men each time I am on the phone with my brothers. His suspicions worsened when I started a small business at the market. He started accusing me of having extra marital affairs something he knows is not even true. That has caused problems in our marriage he thinks I am with other men each time I am at the market and he beats me when I return home” she said.
She said despite his possessive behaviour, Musonda is an irresponsible father and husband who does not provide for his family.
Passing judgment, the court granted divorce and ordered him to pay Nampokolwe K5, 000 as compensation in monthly installments of K250 starting April month-end.
He was also ordered to pay K300 monthly as child maintenance. The court also ordered the couple to share equally property bought together.

MIKE MWENDA, Lusaka – Daily Mail