A Zambian woman has sued her boyfriend for not marrying her after eight years of their dating.
Gertrude Ngoma, 26, from Ndola, Zambia, launched legal proceedings against her boyfriend Herbert Salaliki, 28, the father of her child who she claims had promised to marry her, after 8 years of dating.
Ngoma told the court she was tired of waiting and demanded her boyfriend outline his plans for the future. She also added that she doubted his loyalty after catching him texting another woman.
“He has never been serious, that is why I brought him to court because I deserve to know the way forward and our future,” she told the court.
Salaliki, in his defence, said that he wants to marry Ngoma but can’t afford to, and claimed that they don’t communicate because she doesn’t give him enough attention.
Ngoma told the court that she now feels Salaliki is not serious about their relationship despite him already issuing a dowry payment.
In Zambia, it’s traditional for men to pay a lobola or “appreciation fee” to the family of their fiancée as a sign that they will look after their wife. Despite the payment being made, the couple has never lived together even though they share a child, with Gertrude remaining with her parents.
But Salaliki defended his decision by saying that he’s not financially stable enough to afford a wedding. He also said he was reluctant to get married, blaming Gertrude for not giving him the attention he thought he deserved.
Judge Evelyn Nalwize, presiding over the case at Kabushi Local Court, advised Gertrude to sue for breach of marriage contract but said the authorities could do little more to intervene. The magistrate instead ruled that the two should attempt to reconcile their differences out of court.
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