Through his love of a local delicacy of roasted groundnuts and cassava evolved a love affair in which a Mansa man has since impregnated the complainant’s wife. Gershom Mushinga, 38, admitted making Majory Mwewa pregnant because she used to spoil him with the groundnuts and cassava. Mushinga was testifying in a matter in which he was sued in the Mansa Local Court by Elisha Chimbaya.

Mushinga told senior local court Magistrate Leortina Zaloumis sitting with Magistrate David Mubanga and Magistrate Margaret Sankalimba that in April this year, Chimbaya’s wife went to his house around 06:00 hours. He said he was surprised to see Majory Mwewa standing by his door.

“I knew Mwewa as my customer but I was shocked to see her at my house early in the morning, holding a food warmer full of roasted groundnuts and cassava,” he said. “I accepted the food and she spoiled me with groundnuts and cassava on several occasions until I slept with her. I had sexual encounters with her on several occasions,” Mushinga said. He said he did not know that Mwewa was married and that one day, he was surprised to see her in the company of her parents and her husband.

“I impregnated her and I paid admission fee but she did not tell me she was married,” he said. And Chimbaya said he married Mwewa in 2011 and that the two have two children. He said this year, his wife suddenly changed her behaviour and started acting strange. “My wife stopped sleeping in bed for five months but I was shocked to discover that she was pregnant,” he said. Chimbaya said he never touched his wife but she is four months pregnant. He begged the court to order Mushinga to compensate him for sleeping with his wife.

And Bernard Mwewa, 58, said his daughter is pregnant for Mushinga and that he admitted. He said Mushinga had destroyed Chimbaya’s marriage by sleeping and impregnating his wife. M a g i s t r a t e M u b a n g a adjourned th