A woman of Livingstone’s Maramba area has told the local court that her husband used to spend nights in the chicken run, leaving her alone in the bedroom.

This is the matter in which Maliambi Shimungalu had sued Mumba Mukuta for divorce.

The Court has since dissolved the couple’s 10-year-old marriage on grounds that the two have lost affection for each other.

When the matter came up before Senior Local Court Magistrate Essau Daka and presiding Local Court Magistrate Ruth Liato, recently, Maliambi told the court that the two got married in 2008 and K3,600 was paid as dowry, representing six cows at K600 each.

She said they had three children; a 10-year-old, a six-year-old and a six-month-old baby.

Maliambi said before they got married, her husband, Mumba, had children from a previous marriage.

She said problems in their marriage started when Mumba started drinking too much beer and stopped buying food at home.

Maliambi told the Court that Mumba suggested that they shift to the house left by his late brother to avoid paying rent, but whilst at his late brother’s house, his behaviour got worse and he started spending nights in the chicken run, leaving her alone in the bedroom.

She said she reported the matter to the elders in the family, but there was no change, eventually Mumba started coming home late, between 22:00 hours and 23:00 hours.

Maliambi disclosed that the worst part was that his girlfriends could go to their home and boast of how they enjoyed Mumba’s money and how a big buyer he was, yet he was failing to provide food or pay the children’s school fees.

She further said her husband was violent and used abusive language against her.

But in his response, Mumba denied all the allegations against him, arguing that he was actually a good man.

He explained that the problem was with his wife who had no respect for him, adding that he drank to avoid having high blood pressure.

Mumba claimed that at one time, his wife went somewhere for a month without his consent, and after she returned, she told him that the money he paid had finished.

He said this compelled him to finish the balance.

Meanwhile, a witness, Irene Mangwato of Kasenga village, Namwala, said Mumba was a problem who could not take heed to advice.

In their findings, the Court found that Mumba denied the claim, saying he still loved his wife, yet in his submissions he said he was ready to divorce her.

They further found that the parties had lost affection for each other and that their marriage had broken down irretrievably.

They granted the couple divorce and ordered Mumba to be supporting his children with K1,000 payments.

They granted Maliambi custody of the children.

“Based on above findings, divorce is granted. Plaintiff (Maliambi) to have the custody of the three children forthwith. Defendant to be supporting his children with K1,000. The parties should share property equally,” ruled the Court.