A LUSAKA man has found himself in an impossible situation, forced to make a decision that could forever alter the course of his life of either to reconcile with his wife who has been stealing money from his boss’s bedroom, or to continue working for his employer, sacrificing his marriage in the process.
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Jabulani Lungu, a 23-year-old man of Lusaka’s Ngwerere area has spent his six years of his life working for his employer, William Phiri aged 45 and during this time, Lungu has resided on Phiri’s farm to fulfill his labour duties and responsibilities of that of a garden boy.
Two years ago, Lungu impregnated his wife, 21-year-old Precious Chansa and motivated by a desire to provide for his soon-to-be family, he brought his pregnant girlfriend to the farm where he worked.
In a gesture of goodwill, Lungu’s boss, Phiri, granted Chansa a job as a maid on the farm but instead of focusing solely on her assigned duties, Chansa grew long fingers and she started stealing money from Phiri.
After discovering Chansa’s betrayal, Lungu made the difficult decision to separate from her for five months as his boss did not give her another chance of grace after repeatedly stealing huge amounts on separate incidents.
Lungu hoped that Chansa would realise the gravity of her actions and commit to reforming her behaviour during the separation.
This is in a case brought before Magistrate Harriet Mulenga at the Matero Local Court where Chansa hoped to reconcile and salvage her marriage with Lungu, despite him having another wife following their separation.
But Lungu’s employer was not content with the prospect of Lungu reconciling with his wife, and presented him with an impossible dilemma, forcing him to choose between his job and his marriage.
In his testimony, Phiri revealed that his maid, Chansa, at first stole K17,000 which caused him to fear for his own safety and reputation and after some months, Chansa stole another K13,000 and fled to Kasama, leaving behind suspicion and chaos in her wake.
Additionally, Phiri stated that he discovered romantic messages on Chansa’s phone, indicating infidelity on her part.
“Upon discovering romantic messages on her phone with other men, I was deeply saddened especially that Lungu being illiterate, he had no way of detecting these affairs. Chansa’s disappearance with my money made me assume she was cohabiting with another man,” Phiri testified.
Phiri disclosed that Chansa left because she stole money, not because she was chased away and that Lungu on the other hand, has never stolen anything from him as he has always been a hardworking and honest employee.
He told Lungu that if he chooses to reunite with his wife, he must move out of his house immediately because he cannot continue to tolerate a thief in his home, and Chansa’s actions had proven that she is untrustworthy.
Torn between his job and family, Lungu expressed his predicament, stating that his two children remain his primary concern and if he does not reconcile with Chansa, he worries that the children might suffer in the same way he did in the past.
Furthermore, he expressed concern over losing his job again.
During cross examination, Phiri shared that Lungu was using his salary to pay back the stolen money instead of Chansa’s father as per agreement, but the estranged wife rejected the claim and maintained that her father was the one providing the payments.
However, Lungu’s patience and willingness to reconcile with Chansa were pushed to their limits when she failed to acknowledge his efforts to repay the stolen money hence, shifted his stance from wanting to reconcile to rejecting Chansa’s pleas altogether.
“I came here hoping to find common ground, but you have made it clear that honesty is not your priority. You have made things difficult for yourself, you are on your own,” he said.
And presiding over the case, Magistrate Mulenga noted that Lungu’s current actions of paying back the stolen money are draining his finances and making it harder for him to progress.
“If you were to leave your current employer, it is unlikely you would find another boss as understanding. Why can’t you see that your wife is a scammer? Ladies like her are only interested in money, not marriage and she is manipulating you and taking advantage of your trust. Are you blind to this reality?,” she questioned.
Magistrate Mulenga ruled that the marriage reconciliation had failed and Chansa is no longer the victim but the perpetrator and from a legal standpoint, Chansa’s actions have constituted theft and deception, not a marriage.
“Your marriage will never work, Chansa, because you are a thief, you have deceived and manipulated your husband to your own advantage and your actions have brought you to this point, and you must bear the consequences of your dishonesty and greed.”
She further urged Chansa’s parents to recognise their vital role in shaping their daughter’s character and moral compass, and to provide guidance and correction when she errs.
By Sharon Zulu
Kalemba July 15, 2025
