Soldier seeks divorce from wife who beats him

Peter Chisala, a soldier has sued his wife, Kolina Chisala, 47, for divorce, because she beats him. Chisala is worried she could kill him because she targets his genitals when beating him.

Chisala, of Arrackan Barracks, told the Chilenje local court that problems started in January 2008 when he got a loan and opened a tavern on rent for Kolina who then got in a habit of insulting him in the presence of customers. He said that Kolina would insult him even when they were on a public bus on their way home from the tavern because she didn’t want any woman to sit near him.

“I stopped paying rent for the tavern and she continued insulting me every time I asked for my things at the tavern. When I got paid in January 2009 I got K45,000 and went to drink. When I returned I found that she had left with all the household property,” Chisala said.

He said that later he and Kolina reconciled and she returned the property but that she still beats him a lot.

“Kolina followed me at work with a plank on four occasions to beat me in the presence of my juniors while I was in uniform but I ran away to avoid her. She even breaks property in the house like a mad person,” Chisala said. He said that he eats with his children who cook for themselves and Kolina cooks for herself.

Asked by the court if he has sought the counsel of elders, Chisala said that he has but that their efforts have been in vain.

In defence, Kolina told the court that Chisala was the cause of the fights in their marriage. She said that on three occasions, contrary to tradition, Chisala had someone else shave him. She said on another occasion she found used condoms in the house and yet they have not used the protective devices since they got married. Kolina said that Chisala’s relatives detest her.
“His nephew who insults me even told me that I don’t have any child in the house,” she said.

In submission, Chisala said that he just wanted to divorce Kolina because she beats him. The two got married in 2002 and they don’t have children together, but Chisala has two from his previous marriage.

Senior court magistrate Kalunga Chansa, sitting with presiding magistrate Irene Mundi, granted divorce. Magistrate Chansa ordered Chisala to pay Kolina K3 million in monthly installments of K250,000.