“My manhood retires without my wife,” man tells court in bizarre divorce hearing

The Lusaka Boma Local Court in Zambia witnessed an unusual scene this week when a 51-year-old man, Francis Daka, turned his divorce hearing into a dramatic personal testimony on marriage and masculinity.

Daka appealed to Justice Martha Tembo to reject his wife’s request for divorce, arguing that ending their 32-year marriage would also mark the end of his “bedroom career.”
Addressing the court, he claimed that in his wife’s absence, his manhood becomes significantly diminished and effectively “retires,” leaving it with only basic biological functions. He attributed his condition to a traditional consultant allegedly hired by his wife to interfere with his performance.
According to him, the consultant has since passed away, making any reversal of the situation impossible.
In a surprising moment, Daka even offered to demonstrate his claim in court by comparing himself with a court clerk, though no one volunteered for such an exercise.
He maintained that his sexual vitality only functions properly when he is with his wife, Grace Mwanza, 47. The couple share nine children, which he cited as proof of his capability under the “right conditions.”
However, Mwanza remained resolute in her decision to end the marriage. She told the court that her husband frequently used abusive language, humiliated her in front of their children, and subjected her to emotional distress. She also accused him of locking her out of the house during disputes, evicting her from their shared home, and abandoning one of their children during a trip.
After hearing both sides, Justice Tembo granted the divorce.
In her ruling, she awarded custody of the minor children to the mother, while the adult children were free to choose their preferred parent. Daka was ordered to pay K15,000 in compensation in monthly instalments of K1,000, as well as K1,000 monthly for child support, alongside medical and educational expenses. The couple’s properties were to be shared equally.
Thus ended a 32-year marriage, along with Daka’s claim of a “one-woman contract” that, according to him, could not survive the separation.