A WIFE of Bulangililo township alleged before the court that her husband ate all the food he had taken to the hospital for her after learning that she had given birth to a disabled child. Catherine Mwape, 19, was testifying in a case in which she sued Shadreck Lukwembe, 35, for divorce on grounds that he beats her. Mwape told the court that the two got married in 2014 and they have two children together.

She told the court she got married to Lukwembe at a tender age after her sister arranged the marriage.Mwape said problems in their marriage started in 2015 when she gave birth to a lame child. She told the court that her husband denied fathering the child saying his family has never had a disabled child before. Mwape said her husband has never touched the child ever since he was born and always pushes him when he tries to play with him.

“After my husband discovered that I had given birth to a lame child, he ate all the food he brought for me and carried the left overs home,” she said. Mwape said her marriage life has been full of misery because her husband even slaps her when he finds her sleeping. He said one day her husband deliberately burnt their physically challenged son with a pressing iron but lied that it was an accident. She also accused her husband of not financially supporting his family.

But Lukwembe refuted his wife’s allegations and told the court that he has always been supportive of his family. He told the court that he does not beat his wife but only tries to slap her romantically. Lukwembe pleaded with his wife not to go ahead with the divorce because he still loves her. Bulangililo senior local court magistrate Kambole Nyoni adjourned the case to a later date