‘Absentee landlord’ Sinyangwe loses wife
By Charles Musonda
A BUSINESSMAN of George Compound in Lusaka Brevin Sinyangwe has lost his 13-year marriage after the Matero Local Court granted a divorce to his wife, Alice Chileshe.
This is after Chileshe complained to Matero magistrate Harriet Mulenga that her husband tends to stay away from home for a long time on business trips, and stops paying attention to family needs.
Magistrate Mulenga dissolved the marriage, in which the couple has four children, after noting that the marriage was irretrievable after being on separation for more than a year without having sex.
“It is not in dispute that you married in 2013 under customary marriage. You have been on separation for more than a year. You can’t live for one year without enjoying conjugal rights. Divorce is granted,” magistrate Mulenga said.
She ordered Sinyangwe to compensate Chileshe with K10,000, starting with K1,000 and thereafter K500 monthly.
Magistrate Mulenga also ordered Sinyangwe to pay K1,000 monthly for child maintenance every month.
She also directed that the duo should share equally the plot, where they contracted a five-room structure, which has reached window level.
Chileshe, a volunteer in the Ministry of Health, complained that despite Sinyangwe going for long business trips, he never brought enough money home whenever he returned.
She said Sinyangwe’s acts forced her to start fending for the children single-handedly.
In his defence, Sinyangwe accused Chileshe of avoiding his phone calls.
He said whenever he was away, he would call, but Chileshe would avoid picking up his calls.
“She started consulting a witch doctor who claimed to see whatever I was doing from a distance,” he said.
Sinyangwe said the same witch doctor informed Chileshe that he had seen him while on a business trip to marry a widow who had lost husbands four times.
He said Chileshe lied before the court by saying he was not providing for the children.
“I have mobile money transfer messages which I cannot produce before the court,” he said.
Sinyangwe explained that at first, he used to do business with Chileshe’s uncle, after which he went solo, before she told him that she was unable to continue living with a man who goes on long business trips.
He said whenever he was around, Chileshe had a habit of leaving home around 18:00 hours and only returned home after 21:00 hours.
When called on as witnesses, Chileshe’s parents said the marriage could not work because the two started having serious differences a long time ago and nothing has changed despite sitting them down.
