‘My husband beats me like an animal’

MARY PHIRI writes A woman of Masala Township in Ndola has divorced her husband, contending that he beats her up “like an animal” whenever she tries to counsel the children he had from his first marriage. In this matter, Malisha Kachese 30, sued Wilson Banda 35, for divorce as he still invites relatives of his […]

‘My husband beats me like an animal’
MARY PHIRI writes A woman of Masala Township in Ndola has divorced her husband, contending that he beats her up “like an animal” whenever she tries to counsel the children he had from his first marriage. In this matter, Malisha Kachese 30, sued Wilson Banda 35, for divorce as he still invites relatives of his former wife to their home.  Kachese told the Kabushi Local Court that her husband used to beat her “like an animal” whenever she queried why he was still entertaining relatives from his ex-wife side at home. She was giving evidence before presiding magistrate, Mildred Namwizye, sitting with Evelyn Nalwizya. The would complained that her husband would beat her to an extent that she would not even move for a week. At one time, she said, he beat her in town as people watched in awe. Kachese told the court that they used to live in harmony until she started noticing the change in behaviour in her husband whenever she tried to counsel his son from the previous marriage and would tell her that she had no heart for the child. She said she failed to control the child because the father would always tell her that she was a bad woman and would bring his ex-wife’s relatives at home to entertain them.  “This man is so jealousy, he does not even allow me to go to church and always tells me that my job is to stay at home and when I try to find a job so that I can also be earning something, he beats me,” She said.  In defence, Banda told the court that he was a jealousy man which had forced him to think his wife should stay at home.  Banda said when his wife first got her job, she started coming home late and he would always get home before her and he would start cooking which was not right. He pleaded with the court that he did not want to divorce the wife because he did not want the kids to suffer but rather care for them and provide love for them. Banda said sometimes he is forced to slaps her because it always hurts him whenever she left the house and would not attend to the home needs. The court granted divorce and ordered Banda to compensate his wife with K5000 in monthly instalments of K500 and K300 child support. The Sun