By PERPETUAL SICHIKWENKWE –
FORMER Kasama Central Member of Parliament (MP) Xaviour Chishimba has sued his wife for divorce alleging unreasonable behaviour.
Dr Chishimba has since described the relationship with his wife, Felistas Valeriana Zulu Chishimba, as not only platonic, but fake and out of touch with reality.
He said that the couple had continued to lead a quarrelsome lifestyle inundated with suspicions, witch-hunting, treachery and secrecy and, as such, should be divorced.
Dr Chishimba has asked the Lusaka High Court to dissolve his marriage to Felistas, a civil servant, whom he has been married to since 2000.
He says that the couple has three children and  agreed that if divorced, the children should be living with their mother at one of the couple’s houses in Kamwala South.
Dr Chishimba says the marriage has broken down irretrievably on grounds that his wife has behaved in such a manner that he could not reasonably be expected to live with her.
He said that he on July 27, 2009 resigned as an MP and went into private development consultancy.
In December 2010, the parties went on separation for various cumulative reasons, including that, although living under the same roof, they were on separation, living separate lives without any normal relationship of a husband and wife.
Dr Chishimba further says that between January and March 2014, Felistas’ sister Victoria Daka took possession and shifted her household goods into a property on plot 16271/1080, Lusaka, which he had been developing with the intention of providing for the future of the children.
He says that when he queried his wife, she allegedly responded that it was her property too, regardless of the fact that he had used his hard-earned money to build it.
Dr Chishimba says Felistas later moved out of the matrimonial home in Woodlands Extension, taking all household goods to settle with her sister, where there was already another set of household goods that he purchased.
He says his wife vowed not to leave any property with him, claiming that when he resigned as MP, it was her salary that helped provide for the family.
Dr Chishimba said that by April 2014, he lived in fear as there were parallel decision-making structures in the shared home, while mistrust increased such that he became apprehensive and insecure.
He alleges that his wife and her sister had constantly been having private conversations which by any reasonable inference were ploys to harm him.
Dr Chishimba said this was evidenced by the arrogance that the duo exhibited when communicating with him, thereby causing him to live in constant fear of potential food poisoning, a situation which culminated in him cooking his own food.
He also said that the couple towards the end of March 2015, met at Manda Hill to reflect on the marriage and mutually agreed that there was no likelihood of cohabitation being resumed as the marriage had broken down irretrievably.