A 41-YEAR-OLD man sued for divorce after separating for a year has begged his wife to reconcile for their children’s sake even though he suspects she was expecting another man’s child.

Like Musiwa of Lusaka West was testifying in a case in which his wife, Fenica Chipongwe, 38, of Choma sued him for divorce in the Kanyama Local Court.

The two got married in 2006 and they have three children. Dowry was paid.

Chipongwe told Senior Court Magistrates Morgan Kayanika and Esther Mulomba that she wanted divorce because they came to court last year when Musiwa sued her for reconciliation but she refused.

Asked by Musiwa why she left the matrimonial home for a year and if she was not pregnant, Chipongwe said that she left because she was suffering and that she was not expecting.

In defence, Musiwa said that problems started when Chipongwe’s mother came to visit them and insinuated that she wanted her daughter to marry a man from their tribe. He explained that Chipongwe then left their home and went to her parents in Choma. He said he has been travelling to Choma to try and get her back but she has been refusing.

“Later, I heard that Chipongwe has a man and she told me that she did not want to continue in marriage with me,” said Musiwa.

Musiwa pleaded with Chipongwe to reconcile even if she was expecting another man’s child but she refused.

The court noted that Chipongwe just wanted to divorce having been on separation for a year and cannot be forced to stay in marriage. The court granted divorce without compensation and ordered Musiwa to be paying K500 per month as child maintenance. The couple would share the household goods.