A Harare man, Joseph Katumba, has accused his wife, Stella Kangara, of denying him his conjugal rights for nearly a decade as punishment for being unemployed.
Katumba shared his ordeal in court, alleging that his wife reacts violently whenever he attempts to be intimate with her.
“She screams, bites, and scratches me whenever I touch her.
“She yells, ‘You want to kill me!” and pushes me away,” Joseph said.
He described how he has been sleeping on the floor for nine years while his wife occupies their matrimonial bed.
According to Zambia Observer, seeking relief, Joseph requested a protection order against his wife, claiming her actions amounted to emotional and psychological abuse.
In her defense, Stella argued that her husband’s unemployment had rendered him unappealing.
“I am not a sex object. I need emotional and financial security to feel loved and appreciated.
“My husband’s lack of effort to get a job has killed my desire for intimacy. Sometimes we sleep on an empty stomach, and he will demand for sex when I don’t even have the energy for it,” she told the court.
The magistrate, Meenal Naratom, presiding over the case, condemned Stella’s actions, emphasising that unemployment did not justify abusive behaviour.
“While unemployment can be a significant stressor, it does not justify physical and emotional abuse,” the magistrate stated.
The court granted Joseph a protection order, prohibiting Stella from further abuse.
Naratom also advised the couple to pursue marriage counseling to address their challenges and work towards rebuilding their relationship.
