BY PEZO SIABASIMBI –
A FIFTY-YEAR-OLD woman in Lusaka shocked the Chilenje local court when she demanded a share of the estate of a cousin she claimed was her husband even though she had not lived with him for 38 years.
This is in a matter, where Grace Nyendwa of Lusaka’s Ng’ombe Township sued her niece, Evelyn Nyendwa, 25, of Mansa District, for reconciliation over the deceased man’s estate.
Grace claimed that she was married to Evelyn’s father, Cosmas Nyendwa, who was also her cousin, in 1976 although there was no lobola paid.
She said after getting married to Nyendwa, the two could not live together because Nyendwa relocated to Mansa and left instructions for her not to marry another man.
“He brought a chicken as a symbol of marrying a woman and also warned me never to get married elsewhere. Even if I never lived with him, I loved him as my husband,” she said.
She said she was asking for her share of the property as a widow because the man who died last year was legally married to her.
Grace also claimed that Evelyn, squandered her late father’s money when she was chosen as administrator.
She said Nyendwa had even asked her to sell his house after death to allow everyone have a share of his property.
But Evelyn said she was sworn in as the administrator of her father’s estate but was surprised to receive a call from Grace asking for her share as a widow.
Evelyn’s mother, Matildah Nyendwa, 47, testified in court that she was legally married to the deceased and knew Grace as her sister-in-law.
She said she was shocked that Grace remained quiet for 38 years and only appeared after her husband’s death.
Magistrate Sharon Sichone, sitting with magistrate George Kaoma, dismissed the case after Grace failed to produce evidence that she was legally married to Cosmas and that she was asked to sell the house.
Sister-in-law sued over murder allegation
BY SARAH TEMBO –
A 32-YEAR-OLD man of Lusaka West has sued his sister-in-law for accusing him of being responsible for the recent killings that have happened in the area.
Golden Kasanda said his sister-in-law had been going round the township telling the public that he had been paying criminals to attack innocent people at night.
This was in a case where Kasanda sued Belita Chikanfwa for defamation after she alleged that he was responsible for the deaths that had occurred in Lusaka West.
Kasanda told the court that on February 4, Chikanfwa’s brother confronted him with information that the plaintiff was working for a certain white man who had paid him to kill people.
He told the court that after he inquired where he got that information, Chikanfwa’s brother revealed that it was his sister who had been spreading such information.
Kasanda submitted that although he had ignored the accusations, he was shocked that another person approached him with the same allegations against him two days later.
“So I confronted my sister-in-law but she denied, saying she was just told as well,” he said.
“This is a serious crime, and I just want her to tell me the people who are telling her that I am killing people.”
But in her defence, Chikanfwa told the court that she was just told that Kasanda was given money by a certain white man who ordered him to kill people.
She said she was not even the one who told Kasanda about the speculations but was just warning his brother, whom she had heard, was one of the criminals murdering people in the area.
“After my neighbour told me that some people were saying that my brother was paid by my brother-in-law to help him with the attack of people at night, I went to warn him and to return the money if he had been paid to kill people,” she said.
Local court magistrate Lewis Mumba, sitting with Petronella Kalyelye, dismissed the case citing lack of evidence.
Man fails to support own son for 16 yrs
BY PEZO SIABASIMBI –
CHILENJE local court magistrate George Kaoma has ordered a 41-year-old man of Lusaka’s Kabwata Township to start supporting his son he has not helped for 16 years on the basis that he has no money.
This is in a matter where Mary Lifwekelo, 64, of Chongwe District dragged her son Daniel Lifwekelo to court for child maintenance.
Mr Kaoma said it was shameful for a man of his age to be irresponsible to the extent of failing to take care of his own child.
Mary told the court that Lifwekelo impregnated a woman in 1997 and failed to support her.
She said she woke up one morning and found the baby dumped outside the house by the mother when the baby was only 21 months old.
The old woman submitted that she took care of her grandchild, hoping that Daniel would be assisting to provide for his own offspring.
She said ever since the baby was dumped, Lifwekelo had never bought anything for his child and yet he had money to buy beer every day.
“I have been taking care of his child’s educational needs from grade one to grade 10,” he said.
“He has never supported his son and each time I ask him for assistance, he refuses to help me saying I should first of all lend him money.”
She said Daniel requested for money from his mother to start a car wash business but she did not give him and instead bought him all the requirements needed for such a business so that he could start running it.
Lifwekelo said she was the one who was paying water bills for the water Daniel used to wash vehicles and yet did not benefit in any way.
Mary said she was unable to find transport money for her grandson to enable him go to school everyday, hence the need for Daniel to intervene.
In his defence, Daniel told the court that he was willing to support his son provided his mother lent him some money to start a business.
Mr Kaoma, sitting with magistrate Sharon Sichone, ordered Daniel to start providing K300 monthly or face the rough side of the law.
Wife opts for ex-boyfriend
BY SARAH TEMBO –
A 23-YEAR-OLD man of Lusaka West has sued his 22-year-old wife for divorce after she poured hot porridge on him and told him she no longer loved him but the ex-boyfriend.
Lottie Mugonde said his wife, Esther Shamatanga, had threatened to kill him on several occasions, as she was no longer interested in staying with him.
Facts were that the two got married in 2009 and have one child but problems in their marriage started shortly after their wedding.
Mugonde told the court that his wife never respected him and would pick unnecessary quarrels and hit him with anything that was available.
Mugonde showed local court magistrate Petronella Kalyelye the burns he sustained from the hot porridge, adding that his wife was now threatening to kill him with a knife.
“I just want the court to free me from this slavery I have been in for a long time,” Magonde said.
“This woman will end up killing me if we continue staying together.”
But in her defence, Shamatanga told the court that the pouring of the porridge on Mugonde was just an accident.
She, however, said that her husband was a womaniser and an irresponsible man who was in the habit of bringing his girlfriends to the couple’s matrimonial home.
“I loved my husband but I have seen that we can’t stay together, it is better to just separate us before we kill each other,” she said.
Ms Kalyelye, sitting with Lewis Mumba, divorced the couple as it was clear that there was unprecedented violence in their marriage.
The court,however, ordered Mugonde to compensate his wife with K2,000 and a monthly K150 as child maintenance.
Lover dragged to court over pregnancy
By SARAH TEMBO –
A 25-YEAR-OLD man of Lusaka’s George Township, who has allegedly refused to buy clothes for his unborn baby after his girlfriend failed to terminate the pregnancy, has been taken to court.
This was in a case where Elita Banda, a 21-year-old woman of Matero Township, accused Emmanuel Liman of Lusaka’s Gorge Township of refusing to take responsibility of the pregnancy when he caused it.
Facts before the court were that Banda and Liman had been enjoying a good love affair since 2012 but when Banda became pregnant, Liman refused to accept the responsibility and urged Banda to terminate it.
She told the court that she was so scared to abort, hence she decided to keep the pregnancy against the will of Liman who later denied responsibility.
“I thought he was joking when he told me that he never wanted me and that he would not buy anything for the baby but now the pregnancy is nine months and he has not bought anything. I realise that he meant every word he said,” she said.
In his defence, Liman told the court that he was not responsible for the pregnancy that Banda was carrying, adding that he never had sexual relations with Banda.
“Many times Banda wanted to have sex with me but I used to refused because I was not in love with her,” he said.
But local court magistrate Gaston Kalala, sitting with Petronella Kalyelye, ordered Liman to buy everything for the baby as soon as possible and go for a DNA test six months after the child was born if he was sure that it (the child) was not his.
The court told Liman that Banda was not mad to point at him if he had never had sex with her, when there were other men who were even better than him.
