Financial Intelligence Centre (FIC) director Mary Tshuma’s husband Kudakwashe Tshuma, a pastor of Beam of Hope International Ministries, has asked the Lusaka High Court to dismiss his wife’s divorce petition with costs, arguing that their marriage has not broken down irretrievably.

The pastor has further denied his wife’s allegations that he has affairs with a number of women saying the allegations are imaginary.

In May this year, Tshuma had filed for divorce, accusing her husband of being in a habit of threatening to kill himself and also having inappropriate affairs with other women but had however, wholly discontinued the petition in June without giving any reasons.

But last month, Tshuma again filed a petition in the Lusaka High Court to dissolve her marriage saying her husband had behaved in such a way that she could no longer live with him.

But in his answer, Pastor Tshuma stated that he had no extra marital affairs and further argued that the allegation was imaginary.

He however admited that at some point, he had attempted to drink Omo bleach due to the false accusations by his wife and repented from it.

Pastor Tshuma denied ever trying to throw himself in a swimming pool at their matrimonial home.

He further stated that he had never beaten his wife or assaulted her as she had alleged.

Pastor Tshuma further denied been confrontational with Mary’s children and her family saying he only corrected them when they behaved in a manner that he saw not right, mostly with the consent of his wife.

He further denied complaining to Mary in the middle of the night about him being left with no property in case of her death.

Meanwhile, Pastor Tshuma denied being dishonest with money.

“The respondent denies being dishonest with money. The respondent denies that he kept the petitioner short of housekeeping money. It is only that he could give the little that he had at the time because he had no meaningful source of income until now that his car business has started operating,” he stated.

Pastor Tshuma appealed to the court to dismiss Mary’s divorce petition with costs on grounds that their marriage had not broken down irretrievably.