For three years, 31-year-old Abel Banda has been making the long and tiring trip from Mpika in Muchinga Province to Petauke district in the mountainous Eastern Province to to see his better half Ngonya Munankoye aged 26.

The duo got married in 2019 after five years of courtship.

Held in the in home town of the bride, Petauke in Eastern Province, the wedding ceremony was complete with song and dance, ululation with plenty to eat and drink.

Banda resided in Mpika and expected his wife to join him after the wedding ceremony, but this was not to be.

Soon after the marriage, the bride got a job as a nurse within Petauke and therefore remained at her parents’ home while the groom went back to Mpika to continue living the life of a bachelor.

For the marriage to hold, Banda made several trips to Petauke to see his wife but became frustrated because he noticed little passion and interest in his wife towards the marriage.

According to Banda, on one occasion he made the long trip to Petauke but failed to see his wife because she was not answering his calls.

After three years of back and forth, Banda called it quits and ran to Lusaka Boma Local Court to have his loveless marriage to Munankoye undone.

Appearing before senior local court magistrate Contudah Kamono, Banda testified that his wife was disrespectful and showed no signs of love in the short-lived marriage, although they have one child together.

Further, Banda complained that despite living apart, his marriage was characterised by quarrels.

And when presented with a chance to speak, Munankoye told the court to grant Banda’s wish of divorcing her.

Munankoye reasoned that there was no need to reconcile a couple whose marriage had broken down irretrievably.

After hearing from both sides, magistrate Contudah Kamono noted that the marriage had indeed broken down irretrievably.

The court dissolved the marriage and ordered Banda to pay K900 monthly child support.

By Mwiche Nalwimba