BUCHI Local Court in Kitwe has been hearing a dramatic divorce case that has exposed layers of betrayal, financial disputes, and conflicting desires between a couple married for 25 years.
Jessica Ezensi, the wife, testified that her husband, Ignatius Mutale, deceived her by introducing another woman as his sister.
For years, she welcomed the woman into their home without suspicion, only to later discover that she was in fact her husband’s lover.
The revelation came when a friend informed her that Mutale was often seen with the same woman.
Ezensi said she was devastated to learn that the woman had even borne a child for her husband, a child he named after her.
To make matters worse, she discovered that the child shared the same birth month as one of her own, meaning Mutale had impregnated both women around the same time.
Despite the betrayal, Ezensi told the court she still loves her husband and is not ready to separate.
“I would like us to get back together,” she said, her voice heavy with emotion.
Mutale, however, painted a different picture. He accused his wife of abusing alcohol and being reckless with money.
He recounted an incident where he gave her K20,000 to purchase groundnuts, but she allegedly squandered the funds and returned with only four bags instead of the expected 16.
Mutale further claimed that she engaged in an extra-marital affair during one of her trips to the village, which even led to her arrest.
He admitted to being in a relationship with another woman—the same one he had introduced as his sister—and expressed his intention to marry her.
“I want a divorce because I am tired of staying with a woman who is fond of obtaining loans and abusing alcohol,” Mutale told the court.
Senior local court magistrate Kambole Nyoni adjourned the matter to June 16 for ruling.
-ZDM