By CHATULA KAMPO –
A CLERGYMAN in Ndola has been sued for allegedly accusing a church member of practising witchcraft and making his niece perform poorly at school.
Prophet Mwelwa Mulenga, 45, of Voice of God Ministries Church in Chipulukusu Township was sued by William Mwape of the same township over witchcraft accusations.
Mwape told the court that Prophet Mulenga accused him of practising witchcraft and making his 15-year-old niece dull at school.
He told the court that on October 10, this year, he went to collect a report form for his niece Mary Numbi who is in grade eight
Mwape testified that his niece did not perform very well and he was not happy with her results for last term.
“After I collected her report form , I went home and questioned her why her performance was very bad,” he said.
“I told her that I was not happy with it and that she should work hard and perform better next time.”
He testified that his niece got angry with his reprimand and she was not in good mood for three weeks.
Mwape told the court that Mary told his first born daughter that Prophet Mulenga had revealed to her that he (Mwape) was behind her poor performance at school.
Mary in her testimony told the court that prophet Mulenga after praying told her that her uncle was behind her poor performance at school.
In his defence, Prophet Mulenga told the court that he last saw Mary five years ago and that he did not pray or prophesy anything to her because she was alone.
Magistrate Kanyula dismissed the case saying it was based on hearsay without proper evidence.
2 Ndola ‘swindlers’ sued over plot
By CHATULA KAMPO
TWO men of Ndola have been sued for allegedly swindling a woman out of K3,000 in an illegal sale of a plot
Francis Chibesa,34, and Peter Michy, both of Lubuto Township are said to have collected K3,000 from Mary Mulewa with a promise to give her a piece of land.
However, the court heard that the land which was designated for Mulewa was not for residential plots, while the two men failed to provide offer letters.
This was a case in which Mulewa sued Chibesa and Michy to recover her money after the two defendants failed to pay back the K3,000 they got from her.
Mulewa told the court that the defendants sold her a plot at an area near the golf club and was asked to pay K3,000 as a down payment last year.
She said the duo had not given her the offer letter for the piece of land which had forced her to demand a refund.
“I bought a plot from the defendants but they have been refusing to give me the offer documents,” she said.
“I have been demanding a refund from them but they have just been promising to give me at the month end and many month-ends have passed without giving me.”
In their defence, both Chibesa and Michy accepted that they owed the plaintiff K3,000 and each of them promised to look for money so that they could refund Mulewa.
Chibesa said he would look for K1,500 and ensure that he paid at the month-end of November, while Michy said he would be able to pay before the end of November.
However, Presiding Ndola main local court magistrate, Chris Kalaba who was sitting with magistrate Rosemary Muke expressed disappointment at the behaviour of the two defendants.
Mr Kalaba said it was sad that the two could decide to sell the plot which was not only theirs, but also in an undesignated area.
He ordered the two to refund the plaintiff through court by November 20, this year.
‘I can’t marry her’
By SARAH TEMBO
A MAN has told the Matero local court that he can not marry a woman he impregnated because he is not ready for marriage.
Philip Mulenga, 30, said he could not be forced to marry Nawa Nyambe’s daughter he impregnated because he was not to do so.
This was a case in which Nyambe, 50, sued Mulenga for compensation for damages after he refused to marry his daughter after impregnating her.
Nyambe told the court that his daughter was impregnated by Mulenga but the defendant had refused to marry her or accept responsibility.
He claimed before the court that her daughter had stopped eating from the time she became pregnant, hence the decision to force Mulenga to marry her.
‘’I want him to marry my daughter so that he can be nursing his pregnancy and feed her because she has became so selective with food,’’ he said.
He told the court that no matter how Nyambe pressurised him, he would not do it unless he was ready for marriage.
Mulenga said he had visited Nyambe to talk about her daughter’s pregnancy but before they could start talking he was ordered to pay K1,000 which he did not agree.
‘’I wanted them to tell me the amount I was supposed to pay but before we could say anything they told me to pay K1,000 which I could only describe as a joke,” he said.
Magistrate Lewis Mumba sitting with Petronella Kalyelye ordered Mulenga to pay K3, 000 as compensation for damages which should be paid in monthly installments of K300.
Mr Mumba also advised Nyambe not to force Mulenga to marry his daughter because that could result into a failed marriage.
‘I was forced to confess witchcraft’
By CHATULA KAMPO
A NDOLA main local court has heard how a 38-year-old business executive of New Twapia Township was forced to admit before a witchdoctor that he was practising witchcraft.
Bernard Chambota told the local court that he was taken to a witchdoctor by his relatives where he was forced to admit that he was behind the death of his two relatives.
This was a case in which Chambota sued his uncle, Davies Kapesa,48, his niece, Gertrude Nyirenda,30 ,and his cousin Given Chushi,38, all of Twapia Township after he was accused of being a wizard.
“On October 9, this year, I was accused by my uncle and niece that I was practising witchcraft and that I had killed my brother and auntie and put them into my business in order for it to grow,” he said.
“They took me to a witchdoctor within Twapia where the ritual ball which was used to point at the accused came on me. I was forced to admit and to sign in a book of witchcraft admission and
fined K1,000 of which I am still paying.”
He said Kapesa and Nyirenda had taken him to another witchdoctor who also claimed that he (Chambota) was a wizard who was working with his wife with a business that was bringing in K4,000 everyday because of charms.
In his defence, Kapesa admitted that Chambota was practising witchcraft and had killed his younger brother.
He claimed before the court that his (Chambota’s) mother also died after seeing a vision of her late son allegedly killed by the plaintiff.
In the same vein, Nyirenda who is currently pregnant claimed before the court that she was currently failing to deliver because of Chambota’s witchcraft.
She said she had visited two witchdoctors from Luapula and Tanzania who have both revealed to her that Chambota was a wizard.
Presiding Ndola main local court Magistrate, Chris Kalaba who was sitting with magistrate Rosemary Muke said it was wrong for the duo to accuse Chambota of being a witch.
Mr Kalaba ordered Kapesa and Nyirenda to each pay K500 to Chambota as compensation for defaming him.
Boy (16) in court over pregnancy
By SARAH TEMBO
A SIXTEEN-YEAR-OLD boy of Lusaka’s Matero Township has been taken to court after he impregnated a 13-year old girl of the same area.
Chiseba Chilekwa appeared before magistrate Petronella Kalyelye for allegedly impregnating a minor in 2012.
This was in a case in which Chikoloma sued Chiseba Chilekwa, 16, for damage after he failed to pay the K6,500 he was asked to pay.
Father of the girl Barry Chikoloma, 45, told the court that her daughter was impregnated when she was in Grade Nine.
The court heard that Chilekwa impregnated Chikoloma’s daughter in 2012 and he was ordered to pay K6,500 as compensation for damages.
He said he was so lenient to ask Chilekwa to pay only K6,500 considering the fact that the girl was still young and at school.
Chokoloma said although he had decided to take back his child to school, it had been difficult for him to look after her baby because he was a widower.
He said Chilekwa and his family have never provided any support from the time the baby was born apart from failing to pay the K6,500.
“I want Chilekwa to give the K6,500 we ordered him to pay for destroying my child’s future and I also want him to get the child so that my daughter can continue with her studies,” he said.
Chilekwa’s mother, who represented her son in the dock told the court that she had been supporting the child contrary to allegations by Chikoloma.
She told the court that she had on several occasions requested to take care of the child until Chikoloma’s daughter completed her studies but he refused.
“I told him to give me the child to give room to his daughter to complete his secondary school but he refused, and about the money he is demanding, I promise to give him as soon as I find some money,” she said.
Magistrate Petronella Kalyelye sitting with Lewis Mumba ordered Chilekwa to pay the K6 500 in monthly installments of K300.
Lusaka court discards defamation suit
By MWANGALA LISELI
THE Lusaka Boma court has dismissed a case in which a woman of Lusaka’s John Laing Township sued her neighbour for defamation of character after she allegedly insulted her.
This was a case in which Christine Kabwe, 35, sued her neighbour Jennipher Fibale for defamation after she (Fibale) allegedly insulted her.
Kabwe told the court that Fibale issued disparaging remarks against her after she (Kabwe) asked the defendant whether she was the one responsible for the litter at the plaintiff’s yard.
She said although she was insulted, she tried to reason with Fibale but the plaintiff could not stop, forcing her to retaliate.
Kabwe said Fibale later rushed to report to the Police about the argument where the plaintiff was locked up before being released after spending days in cells.
“When I went home after being released from the cells, Fibale started laughing and insulting me saying I couldn’t manage her as she had got me beaten by the Police,” she said.
Fibale, however, said she was shocked and never understood why Kabwe had sued her as she was not the one who had taken her to the Police.
She said her neighbour Joseph Mufwaya was the one who had reported Kabwe to the Police after she insulted him.
She said she had only gone to the Police as a witness because she was present when Kabwe was insulting Mufwaya.
Principal presiding magistrate Mable Mwaba sitting with senior magistrates Miyanda Banda and Boway Mpundu dismissed the case saying Kabwe was the one who was wrong as her statement did not tally with her witness.
The court said there was no evidence that the plaintiff was insulted because Fibale and her witness had said the same things.
