A 21-year-old woman of Ndola, Zambia has been left in the cold after her 26-year-old fiancé broke off their relationship.
This is in a case in which Forstine Mwansa has dragged her former fiancé to the Kabushi Local Court for breaching their marriage contract and wasting her time.
According to Zambian Observer, Forstine is demanding that Joshua Phiri, 26, a lance corporal in the Zambia Army, explain why he decided to end their three-year relationship.
She told the court that in their three-year relationship, she performed all duties of a wife.
“I want to know why he broke off the engagement when I used to perform all duties of a wife,” she said.
She said the two started dating in November 2020 after he went to her parent’s house and asked if he could be in a relationship with her.
Forstine said in December, when Joshua went for military training, he sent his family to pay her dowry.
She, however, said Joshua’s mother later called her parents to say that their son would no longer marry their daughter as he has settled for another woman even though the dowry paid for Forstine had not been collected.
Joshua stated that he was on the United Nations training programme when she informed him that she was pregnant.
According to him, 11 months after this, Forstine did not bring any child to his parents.
Joshua also stated that he was his parents’ only son and it was an embarrassment for her to lie that she was expecting his child.
He further told the court that he also heard disturbing news about Forstine which put him off marrying her.
Joshua said both families held a meeting to resolve the issue but that Forstine’s family staged a walkout, which showed that they were disrespectful of his family.
“Your honour, I cannot be with such a woman,” he said.
Ruling, Kabushi Local Court presiding magistrate, John Sakala, sitting with Paul Kayula dismissed the case, stating that there was no customary law which supported breach of marriage contract.