A FORTY-ONE-YEAR-OLD husband of Kawama township has told the Bulangililo Local Court that he used to find herbs mixed with his food, water, and lotion whenever he returned home from a business trip.
Dickson Chiwa was testifying in a case in which his wife, Ireen Kayula, 34, sued him for divorce on grounds that they have been on separation for a year.
The two got married in 2001 and they have three children together while Chiwa has two more children from a previous marriage. Chiwa told the court that all was well in their marriage until his wife started mistreating her two step children.

He told the court that his wife would only buy clothes for her three children and then leave out her two step children. Chiwa said he was not happy with his wife, especially that she had promised to take care of his two children from his previous marriage as her own. He also accused his wife of using charms on him, which he said she added to his food, water and lotion. “I used to ask her about the charms I would find in my food and lotion and she would claim that she had no idea what I was taking about,” Chiwa said.

He also alleged his wife lacked respect for him and his relatives. And Kayula said she opted to file for divorce because her husband has refused to reconcile with her. She told the court that her husband has never made any effort to reconcile with her after he chased her from their home.
Bulangililo senior local court magistrate Kambole Nyoni adjourned the case to a later date.