Lusaka wife wants to be kept like a princess

A MAN of Lusaka’s Chipata Township narrated to a Matero local court how his wife reduced him to a servant in his own house.
Sipiyano Phiri, 26, told the court that his wife wanted to be kept like a princess, demanding that he financially provides for her and do all household chores.
This was a case in which Phiri sued Helen Mwanza, 30, for divorce as he was tired of performing household chores as if he was not a married man.
The two got married in 2011 and have two children. They started having problems in their marriage three months after they wedded.
Phiri said every time he returned home from work he used to find that his wife had not done any household chores.
He said instead of resting after working the whole day, he used to do the household chores because he was not used to live in a dirty place.
“Plates used to stay for three days in the house if I didn’t wash them, making the house stink, a situation which I was not used to,” Phiri said.
He added that he even used to cook for his wife, besides doing other household chores.
“My wife doesn’t know how to do anything. I wash the plates, clean the house and cook for her as if I am the one she married,” Phiri said.
He said he had on several occasions tried to tell his mother-in-law but that yielded no positive results because she used to support her lazy daughter.
Phiri further said that his wife did not respect him and insulted him in the presence of his friends.
“I am tired of doing all the household chores for my wife, I financially provide for her and when I go home instead of resting I start doing cooking for her,” he said.
In defence, Mwanza told the court that her husband wanted to divorce her because he was having a love affair with a certain woman from their church.
Mwanza said she used to differ with her husband because he used to spend most of his time at church than with her.
She said it was unfair for her husband to speak ill about her because she had always performed her duties as a wife.
“I always argue with my husband because he is having a love affair with another woman and whenever I confront him he gets upset,” he said.
Senior local court magistrate Lewis Mumba, sitting with Pauline Newa, granted the two divorce and ordered Phiri to compensate Mwanza with K5,000.
The custody of their two children was given to Mwanza and Phiri was ordered to be maintaining them with K300 monthly.

Times of Zambia