IN WHAT seems like an attempt to emotionally and psychologically torture his wife, a husband of Kitwe spends nights at his neighbour’s house where he holds parties with his girlfriends in full view of his wife. The wife testified that she is scared to walk in her neighbourhood because she is insulted by her husband’s girlfriends. Juliet Chilimina was testifying in a case in which she sued her husband, Lukas Mweemba, for divorce on grounds that he no longer values her as a wife.

Chilimina told the court that she has never been happy in her marriage because her husband always makes sure that she is unhappy. She complained that her husband has girlfriends in their neighbourhood and he at times spends nights there, with her knowledge. Chilimina told the court that her husband sometimes holds braais at his girlfriend’s house as she watches helplessly. She said this has given his girlfriends the courage to insult her and to tell her to her face that her husband is also married to them.

“I have greatly suffered at the hands of this man. I am now afraid of even walking in our neighbourhood because of the kind of insults I receive from his girlfriends,” Chilimina said. She also testified that her husband makes about K18, 000 a month but only gives her K1,000 while he gives K8,000 to his girlfriend. Chilimina pleaded with the court to grant her divorce so that she can have a stable and healthy life because the things her husband has made her emotionally unstable. Mweemba, who was not in support of the divorce told the court that he wants them to raise their child together. He also complained that his wife has no financial capacity to take care of herself if they were to divorce. Ganerton Senior Presiding Magistrate Mutono Banda adjourned the case to November, 18 for judgement