Poverty costs broke Sichilongo marriage
By Charles Musonda
STINKING poverty has led to divorce between Phoebe Mwale and Isaac Sichilongo.
Mwale, 41, of Matero complained that since losing employment some time back, her husband has not been making serious efforts to find an alternative source of income as expected of a father of four.
Phoebe said Sichilongo’s laziness has forced her to resort to cheap piece works like washing clothes for other families at a fee.
“From this same money I am expected to buy food and to support our children’s education while my husband just sits without making any efforts.
“He had a car and when he sold it he did not tell me for how much he sold it, he only gave me K1,000,” Mwale said.
In response, Sichilongo did not dispute Mwale’s testimony apart from telling senior Matero Local Court magistrate Harriet Mulenga to grant Mwale her wish because she had insisted on divorce because he was not working.
His sister agreed with him that Mwale had been pushing for divorce from the time her brother stopped working.
In her judgment, Justice Mulenga said when the couple initially appeared before her she looked at the number of their children after 20 years in marriage and advised them to try to reconcile.
She said it appeared reconciliation had failed and granted them divorce.
Justice Mulenga advised Sichilongo that as a man he needed to embrace the spirit of hard work.
She said even if he had lost employment, there were other income generating activities he could engage in instead of always depending on his wife for everything.
Justice Mulenga said the laundry piece works had destroyed many women’s hands because of the heavy workloads they have to tackle.
