A 35-YEAR-OLD man of Lusaka’s Kabanana Compound, Zambia, has lost his wife of 13 years due to his inability to choose between his widowed side chick and her.
Felix Mukuka, a builder, aged 35, was first sued by his wife, Josphine Mukuka, a business lady also of Kabanana compound for marriage reconciliation in the Matero Local court, stating that her husband had packed all his belongings from their matrimonial home to join his side chick who is a widow with three children in Makeni.
The couple has been married since 2012 and has three children together.
According to Zambia Observer, Josphine said that she got to know about her husband’s extra marital affair after his support at home suddenly reduced.
“He stopped paying rentals for five months, and starved our children.
She said despite finding out, she still forgave him and hoped that they could go back to being a happy family, but to her chagrin, her husband told her he was not ready to leave his side chick and that he intended to marry the widow.
This did not go down well with Josephine.
It seems Felix wanted to extract everything good that the late side chick’s husband left, and was generous enough to become a step father to three children on top of the three he couldn’t provide for.
Unfortunately for him, Josephine was not ready to be a Mai Guru at her age.
“I’m not ready to be in a polygamous marriage.
“I have tried all in my power to make this marriage work but my husband doesn’t want.
“His side chick stopped him from eating and bathing at home.
“He returned home from work one day, parked all his clothes and moved to her place.
“We have rental arrears since August last year.
“He gave me just K50 per day for our home and a bag of mealie meal.
“So if he could not provide for one family, how will he manage to provide for two?
“I love my husband but I will not stay in a polygamous marriage at this age.
“We sat down in meetings with both families and he still insisted he wanted to marry the woman, which was why I came to court.
“If he is still bent on marrying her, I will have no option but to leave him,” said Josphine.
Meanwhile, Felix told the court that he still loved Josephine, but that he equally love the widow.
“This reconciliation will only be possible if she accepts to be in a polygamous marriage, but since she has refused, then we cannot reconcile,” Felix told the court.
The magistrate, Harriet Mulenga, passed judgment on the reconciliation which failed, and advised the aggrieved party to sue for divorce.
Following the advice, Josephine, sued for a divorce which was heard on the same day.
In the divorce case, Felix had a warning for her which shocked the entire courtroom.
“Since we are separating, I want her to retrieve the words she said that the woman I’m with will not prosper if she continues with me.
She should never say any bad word about her in her life ever again,” Felix warned the mother of his three children.
And for Josephine her submission to the court was that she remains with her children as she may not know how another woman would keep them for her, something her husband objected to.
“Those words cannot be your last to the woman you have been with for 13 years.
“Indeed, you never loved this woman. Your love for her did wane a long time ago.
“How do you trust a side chick over your own wife? You don’t know what killed your friend, yet you want to marry her… it may also bite you,” said Mulenga as she upheld the divorce.
The custody of the children was given to Josephine while the court ordered Felix to maintain them with K1,500.
He was also asked to compensate his wife with the sum of K15,000.
The couple’s plot of land was given to the wife and the children while the vehicle, a Corolla was given to the husband.
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