By CHATULA KAMPO-
A NDOLA magistrate has admonished a family for forcing a student to keep his two year-old daughter as a way of forcing him to pay compensation for impregnating his girlfriend.
Magistrate Chris Kalaba, who was sitting with Magistrates Dismus Katampi and Rosemary Muke at the Ndola Main Local Court, said it was wrong to force the pupil to keep his daughter when he had no means.
Kelvin Mayoti, 26, of Mushili Township told the court that his girlfriend’s father Lackson Mandadi took the two year-old girl to his house after he failed to pay damage charges.
This was after Kelvin had failed to pay K4,500 as damage charge after impregnanting his girlfriend.
Mayoti told that Mr Mandadi had asked him to pay K4,500 as compensation for impregnating his daughter about four years ago.
He told the court that Mandadi and his daughter, Deborah, 22, had never visited the child from the time she was taken to the defendant’s house about three years ago.
“I was charged K4,500 after I impregnated his daughter. I cannot manage to pay the money because I am still at school and taking care of my daughter. I pleaded with him that I can only pay after I start working,” he said.
In his testimony, Mr Mandadi said it had been long since Mayoti impregnated his daughter without paying anything hence the decision to take him to court.
He told the court that he had given the defendant enough time to raise money and that he did not want any excuse this time around.
Magistrate Muke expressed disappointment with Mandadi and his daughter for taking such a small child to Miyoti as a way forcing him to pay the money.
The court noted that it was wrong for Mandidi and his daughter to take a-two-year-old girl to a  a single man’s house especially this time when defilement cases were rampant.
Magistrate Muke, however, ordered Miyoti to start paying K200 per month towards the K4,500 and directed that the baby be taken back to its mother.