Night life costs woman marriage

Chola in a packed court room narrated before Senior Court Magistrates Gaston Kalala, Sarah Nyendwa and Mubukwano Matakala that Kabala was a drunkard who shamelessly frequented bars at night leaving him and their child asleep at home.
He said they got married in 2009, although no bride price was paid. They have one child together but Kabala also has a child from her previous relationship.
“We were happy in the beginning but later things started to change. One night, she suddenly abandoned her cooking and went to engage in a physical fight with her former boyfriend’s wife whom she even assaulted,” he said.
He said he only knew what had happened after the police came to their home and arrested her. She spent a night in the cells before her family paid bail. Chola said her family was not happy that he did not pay that they beat him up.
“After that things at home got so bad that we eventually separated for six months. When we reconciled, I gave her K700 to pay rent but she never spent a night in our new home because she was always out at night and only slept during the day when I was at work,” Chola said.
He said Kabala would cook and wait for him to go to bed then change into skimpy clothing, lock the door then throw the house keys through their bedroom window. He said that went on for a month before he eventually decided to follow her one night and see for himself what she was up to.
“I found her wearing a mini -skirt with her friends outside one of the popular night clubs in Chawama. They were holding bottles of beer. I approached her but she did not seem bothered at all, she started insulting me. The next morning she came home like nothing had happened,” he said.
But Kabala said Chola was an irresponsible man who is in the habit of disappearing when it was monthend to avoid paying rentals.
“My parents were the ones paying our rent but it has been difficult after their death because he is not a responsible man. He practically lives off me. My family has summoned him but he keeps giving excuses,” she said.
She said she was not prepared to leave him because he made her leave the man she wanted to marry, for him.
However, the court in passing judgment dismissed the claim noting that no bride price was paid. Kabala was instead advised to sue Chola for child maintenance.

Zambia Daily Mail