• AN elderly woman leads the bridal party of Loyna Nambashi to the venue of a wedding party when she tied the knot with Samuel Kamwela (right) in Lusaka’s Barastone Park yesterday.
By SYLVESTER MWALE –
A Thirty-five-YEAR-OLD woman of Lusaka’s Zingalume Township has been left in agony after learning that her 45-year-old husband is marrying another woman in a suspected case of bigamy.
Bigamy is the crime of marrying somebody else when one is still legally married to another under the Marriage Act.
But Samuel Kamwela, who has been in a legal marriage through the Marriage Act with the first wife for about 15 years has ignored the legal provision and went ahead to marry Loyna Nambashi of George Township.
The wedding reception took place at Mr Kamwela’s father’s farm in Barastone, north-west of Lusaka, where a handful of family members witnessed the ceremony.
Mr Kamwela’s wedding has no blessings from the first wife and some family members told the Sunday Times yesterday that she was contemplating a legal suit against her husband.
“She is in tears as we are talking right now,” said one of the family members. “She has suffered with this man for a long time, and she never thought he could do what he is doing today.
“This marriage is illegal as far she is concerned and I am not sure she will be together with this man for a long time from now because she is hurt.”
The Sunday Times attended the wedding in a secluded Barastone area yesterday where a handful of sympathisers were on hand to support Mr Kamwela, who was wearing Nigerian attire.
Apart from Mr Kamwela’s father and a few family members, the wedding was largely attended by old people – apparently believers in tradition.
Most of the family members from both sides are said to be unhappy with the wedding except Mr Kamwela’s father who is a polygamist himself.
Mr Kamwela had five children with the first wife – though one of them died – and sources said he may surprise the second wife by marrying yet another one not long from now.
While polygamy is allowed, bigamy is a serious crime in Zambia as it contradicts Section 166 of Cap 87 of the Laws of Zambia.
Last year, Lusaka business executive Golden Phiri was jailed for four years after he went to marry Mazabuka police officer-in-charge Lizzy Machina when he was still married to Emmah Chima of Lusaka.
