A Lusaka woman who scalded her husband for allegedly infecting her with syphilis has refused to leave him, claiming she cannot go anywhere with the disease. Phiri alleged before the Matero Local Court that her husband brought syphilis in their home three months after they got married because of sleeping around with other women.

Phiri,25, was testifying before magistrate Pauline Nawa in a case in which her husband, Pearson Shumba,32, sued her for divorce. The two got married in 2013 and have two children together. She testified that sometimes her husband denies her conjugal rights and sometimes they would go for three months without sex.

Phiri alleged her husband has been sleeping with other women because she contracted the disease when they had sex. She admitted to pouring hot water on her husband as she claims she is tired of warning him about his behaviour. “I poured hot water on him because he has infected me. I still want to be with him because he has already infected me,” Phiri said.

But earlier, Shumba told the court that since they got married, his wife has been threatening to kill him for suspecting him of being unfaithful.
He said she checks his phone contacts and calls the numbers she deems suspicious but he says the nature of his job requires him to save contacts for his customers.

Shumba, a taxi driver, testified that apart from pouring hot water on him, she had earlier poured urine on him. “At first it was urine, then she started boiling water which she poured on me,” he said. In his submissions, Shumba told the court that he does not want to be with his wife anymore because he fears for the worst.

Magistrate Pauline Newa granted the divorce with no compensation on grounds that Phiri has bad intentions.