Man fined for divorcing wife

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Machinga

The Lilongwe first grade magistrate has fined a man K235,000 for divorcing his wife, Malawi24 has learnt.

The court heard that the woman identified as Elina went into the city looking for employment and found the man, Emmanuel Nkhoma, who assured her that she will get a job. Court

The woman was later employed by the man as a shop keeper but after some time they got married.  However, Elina told the man that she would still continue with her studies while married and Nkhoma agreed.

To the surprise of the lady, the man later told her to stop going to school saying he will always take care of her.

“It was then arranged that we will hold a traditional wedding in order to officialise things to which we did. At this point, he had told me to stop going to school promising that he would be taking care of me,” said Elina.

Four months into the marriage, the husband told her to go back home saying he had some court issues which he said he wanted to take care first.

The lady later went to his husband’s house but was sent back on several occasions after the man told her he was not yet through with what he was doing, a development that angered the woman who later sued the man on divorce matters.

However, in the court the man said there was no marriage between the two claiming there was no traditional procedures followed and yet he paid the lady’s family K30, 000 as traditionally supposed and had a balance of K20, 000.

Passing his sentence, first magistrate Kantchere, ruled that there was marriage between the two.

He then ordered the man to pay the lady money amounting to K235, 000 for divorcing the lady.

Nkhoma comes from Nkhacha village in the area of Traditional Authority Nkhumba in Mulanje district while Elina hails from Nawaa village in the area of Traditional Authority Lukwa in Kasungu