Kachasu drinking rocks 21 year old marriage

By ALEX NJOVU

A 50-YEAR-OLD man who has been sued for divorce for excessive drinking of kachasu, a highly potent illicit spirit, appeared in a local court allegedly under the influence of the same alcoholic drink.
Kitwe’s Buchi Number Two local court presiding magistrate Martin Linkombe rebuked Felix Chungu for appearing in court allegedly drunk.
This is in case in which Anne Mwape, 40, of Kawama Township in Kitwe sued Chungu of the same township for divorce due to alleged excessive kachasu drinking, among other matrimonial concerns.
Mwape said her husband staggered all the way to the court and messed up his clothes after falling in a pond of muddy water because he had drunk kachasu.
She said Chungu is so irresponsible that he spends most of his time drinking kachasu instead of fending for her and their three children.
Mwape said Chungu is so arrogant that he has on several occasions refused to be counselled by the church.
Magistrate Linkombe, who was sitting with senior presiding magistrate Godwin Lundu, warned Chungu against drinking kachasu, saying it is better to drink chibuku (opaque beer).
Magistrate Linkombe questioned why Chungu resorted to drinking kachasu instead of going to church.
He advised the couple to seek audience with their spiritual father at the Catholic Church for reconciliation.
Magistrate Linkombe said he could not hear Mwape’s plea for divorce because she and Chungu have been married for 21 years.
He pleaded with the couple not to divorce because doing so could have an adverse effect on their children.
He said it is disappointing that Chungu has on several occasions ignored meetings that have been called by the couple’s church to iron out their matrimonial disputes.
“Why have you neglected your God who brought you on earth? The church has called you to help resolve your problems in marriage but you have refused to attend the meetings. All you do is drink kachasu.
“The two of you have been married for many years, 21 years is not a joke in a marriage for you to divorce over issues that can be discussed if you involve your church and elders. Go back and sit down with your church leaders. As courts ,we don’t take pleasure in seeing people divorcing. If you divorce, it is your three children that will suffer at the end of the day,” magistrate Linkombe said.
When asked by the court if he was ready to divorce his wife, Chungu told the court that he wanted to continue in marriage but it was his wife who was insisting on divorce.
The matter has been adjourned to a later date pending the outcome of the couple’s visit to the church for counselling.