A BOOZING woman of Lusaka’s Chibolya Compound who sliced her husband’s lips and disfigured his face after he tried to separate her from alcohol will now spend three months in jail for her violent reaction.
This is in a matter where Esther Chongo of Lusaka’s Chibolya compound was charged with unlawful wounding for injuring her husband Auditor Nzala in a domestic fight mid last month.
Those privy to the matter say on the fateful evening, instead of preparing supper for the family, Chongo left for the shabeen around 18:00 hours leaving behind her two children who are both aged below five without anyone to look after them.
Upon returning home from work expecting to be welcomed with a hug and warm food by his 28-year old wife, Nzala was instead greeted by loud wails of his hungry children.
When he asked the eldest child about their mother, the child could not tell about her whereabouts.
Nzala decided to take the children to his in-laws’ house in pursuit for his wife in beer halls but could not find her.
Dispirited Nzala walked back home and immediately he entered the house he stumbled upon his wasted wife emptying bottles of castle larger.
Upon quizzing his wife for deserting their children for the love of beer, Chongo got incensed for being admonished by her husband and resorted to violence.
The drunken wife broke one of the bottles of beer and sliced her husband’s ‘corrective’ lips and went for his eyes but the sharp piece of glass instead bruised the side of his eye.
After noticing that her husband’s face was oozing with blood and he was drenched in it, the panic- stricken Chongo fled the scene.
Nzala who could not waste time to wash off the blood from his face gathered his remaining strength and rushed to Chibolya police post to lodge a complaint against his wife.
Chongo who readily admitted the charge was convicted by magistrate Mutinta Mwenya upon confirming that the facts relating to the incident were correct.
The mother of two begged for the Court’s mercy in her mitigation.
She said her children were too young and needed care, as she vowed never to resort to violence.
Asked if she was aware that her acts would lead to loss of life Chongo responded in the affirmative whilst pleading for leniency.
In her judgement magistrate Mwenya said Chongo’s behavior needed to be corrected with a custodial sentence so that she could reflect on the effects of alcohol abuse.
“There are consequences to your actions in life. You knew you had children and an elderly mother but that did not stop you from doing what you did. I will excercise leniency and sentence you to three months effective December 15, 2023 so that you can think about your life and the issue of alcohol abuse,” said magistrate Mwenya.
By Mwaka Ndawa
Kalemba January 23, 2024.
