By PASSY HAACHIZO –

A KANYAMA local court has ordered a pastor to concentrate on preaching the Word of God unlike engaging in businesses that will be dragging him to court every time.
This was in a case in which Loveson Chifunda, 48, a pastor from International Obedience, a Pentecostal church, was dragged to court by Sikazwe Makombwe, 50, a business executive, for failing to pay a K750 debt he contracted for his business and calling him a thief after he got pairs of shoes in place of the money.
But Chifunda told the court he never called his friend a thief as he had alleged but just said that he could not give him the money because he had already gotten property in its place.
“I did not say he is a thief but just told him I would not pay because he had confiscated my 14 pairs of shoes and K500,” Pastor Chifunda said.
Chifunda said he had no grudge against his friend who had introduced him into charcoal business way back in Mpulungu.
He said he was a man of God who had also served as a business executive, a watchman and carpenter at the same time, hence he would not swindle his colleague in any way.
On the contrary, Sikazwe insisted that his friend called him a thief after confiscating 14 pairs of shoes and after getting K500 when he failed to finish making the transactions.
In passing judgement, senior magistrate Daniel Phiri dismissed the claim.
“There is no case here. It was already settled last time, and you Chifunda go and concentrate on preaching the Word of God instead of being a pastor, a watchman, a businessman and whatever. These will always make you get back to court,” warned magistrate Phiri.
Magistrate Phiri said the two should learn to love one another and rebuild the old friendship they had since their youthful days, way back in the village.

‘Settle rental arrears, get out’

BY SARAH MWANZA –

A WOMAN of Kabwe in Central Province has told the Matero local court that her house is not a charitable organisation in which tenants can continue to live for free.
Munsanda Kasapu, 43, told the court that she wanted her tenant Charles Chisanga, 50, to vacate her house because he had defaulted for three months.
This was in a case in which Kasapu sued Chisanga to vacate her house because he had failed to pay rentals for the past three months.
Kasapu said she had been having difficulties to collect rentals from Chisanga since he occupied her house in January this year.
She said whenever she went to get money for rentals, Chisanga used to dodge and run away since she stayed in Kabwe, making it difficult for the two to meet.
“I always came from Kabwe and what hurts me most is that I don’t even find this man because he only comes home around midnight,” she said.
Kasapu added that Chisanga was inconsistent and was never committed to paying the rentals, hence she was tired of accommodating him in her house.
“I want this man to pay K1,850 he owes me for rentals and vacate my house so that I can put in someone who will be giving me the rentals accordingly,” she said.
In his statement, Chisanga admitted owing her this amount but told the court that he had no capacity to pay the money immediately because his company had not paid him for months.
Chisanga said the company he worked for was currently going through some financial challenges, hence the workers were not getting their salaries.
Senior local court magistrate Lewis Mumba, sitting with Pauline Newa, gave Chisanga a two-month ultimatum in which to vacate the house and settle the rentals.

Hubby wants unfaithful wife gone

BY ADRIAN MWANZA –

A DISTRAUGHT husband narrated to the Lusaka Boma court how two men claiming to be his wife’s lovers fought over her affection at Odys Filling Station.
Misheck Singowa, 29, of Garden Township told the court that his wife, Beatrice Kamilo, 25, was so promiscuous that at one point, two of her boyfriends engaged in a bitter fight over her at Odys Filling Station in Matero.
Singowa said he was tired of his wife’s behaviour and that at one point she was found having sex with one of her boyfriends at Mukupa Lodge.
The depressed Singowa said Kamilo even boasted that her boyfriends were more handsome and caring than him who had an ugly nose which she could not stand.
“This woman used to tell me that her boyfriends are more handsome, lighter and caring compared to me who has a big and ugly nose which she hates,” he said.
Magistrate Hilda Choonya wondered whether the plaintiff was impotent because there was no way she could have been going out with that number of men.
But Kamilo said her husband fled after she told him she was pregnant and that he did not even spend anything on the child.
Kamilo said that she started denying him his conjugal rights upon discovering that he was having an affair, which caused commotion in the house.
“I started denying him his conjugal rights after I discovered he was having an affair with a girl in our church,” she said.
But magistrate Choonya said it was evident that the couple’s problems were deep-rooted and that divorce was inevitable.
She dissolved the marriage and ordered Singowa to compensate Kamilo K2,500 in installments of K500 until the last payment.

‘All he boasts of is mine’

By SARAH MWANZA –
A WOMAN of Lusaka’s Makeni area has told the Matero local court that her husband has nothing to boast about because he owes everything he had to her.
Josephine Nanyangwe, 28, told the court that at the time she was getting married, her husband had nothing and that it was through her persistent prayers that he acquired all the wealth he had.
This is a case in which Francis Chileshe, 34, sued Nanyangwe for divorce after the two failed to resolve their marital disputes.
Facts before the court were that the two got married in 2009 and have two children. Problems in their marriage started shortly after the two wedded.
Nanyangwe said that it was unfair for her husband to divorce her now that he was comfortable after the two suffered together.
She said when they were getting married they did not even have a bed to sleep on and would sleep on the floor, a situation that made her seek divine intervention.
“Due to my persistent prayers and fasting, God heard me and blessed my husband with a good job and he has since forgotten where the two of us are coming from,” she said.
Nanyangwe said she recently went to Mpika with her husband where he abandoned her and came to Lusaka.
She further said her husband decided to marry another woman without her consent and that was the reason why he really wanted to divorce her.
“I met this man when he had nothing, not even a bed to sleep on but now that he has everything he has decided to leave and marry another woman,” she said.
But in his statement, Chileshe told the court that it was his wife who abandoned him when she discovered that Chileshe infected her with the HIV virus.
He said after his wife discovered that she was HIV-positive, she became bitter towards everyone and chased all the dependants from their house.
Chileshe said after they remained just the two of them at home, his wife started threatening to sue him for divorce, hence his decision to take her to Mpika.
He said the two had been on separation for four months and he was no longer interested in his wife because he was not sure of what she was doing while in Mpika.
Magistrate Lewis Mumba granted the two divorce and ordered Chileshe to compensate Nanyangwe K15,000.
The custody of the children was given to Nanyangwe and Chileshe was ordered to be maintaining them with K300.

‘Choondos’ case adjourned

By RACKSON SHAMUTUKU –

SIX youths who allegedly assaulted a teen of Lulamba Township in Chingola have appeared in court.
The particulars of the offence before the Chingola magistrates’ court were that Joshua Liyungu was attacked, beaten and left unconscious by these youths.
Liyungu, who went to visit his friend Morris Chita sustained a broken leg during the attack and reported the matter to the Police.
When the matter came up, the arresting officer was not in court and magistrate Penstone Chiluba adjourned the matter to August 3, 2015.
According to some of the residents, these youths were attacking and terrorising innocent people.
The youth, commonly known as ‘Choondos’ have spread to other townships such as Lulamba, Chiwempala and other areas in Chingola.
A number of people have been attacked by the group and residents have since called on Police to start patrolling at night to protect the community.

Man tired of feeding another man’s children

By SARAH MWANZA –

A MAN of Lusaka’s Chaisa Township told the court that he was tired of feeding another man’s children who won’t even recognise him as their father.
George Banda, 38, said he did not have any children with his wife from the time the two got married in 2001 but was busy feeding another man’s children whom his wife had from the previous marriage.
This was in a case in which Belinda Zulu, 38, sued Banda for marriage reconciliation after he deserted his matrimonial home.
The court heard that the two got married in 2002 and have no children.
Problems in their marriage started last year when Banda visited his relatives in the village.
Banda said he had become a laughing stock in the family as everyone was telling him that it was not in order for a man to be feeding another man’s children.
Banda said his relatives had been telling him that those children would eventually abandon him once they grew up.
He of late had been noticing some strange behaviour from his wife’s eldest son, which showed lack of respect for him.
Banda also said his wife had been threatening to tell the children the truth that he was not their biological father.
“The time I married my wife these children were still very young. The oldest was five and the youngest was one and I have done my best to take care of them as their biological father,” he said.
Banda said he was also taking the children to expensive schools but now he had realised that he was just wasting his money because looking at the behaviour they were currently displaying, they would never remember him.
In her statement, Zulu said it was her husbands’ relatives who were giving him wrong ideas that the children would never take care of him.
She said immediately after returning from visiting his relatives in the village last month, he started demanding a divorce.
Zulu said from nowhere her husband told her that he wanted divorce because he was tired of feeding children who were not even his.

3 ‘Bandits’ appear in court

By SYLVIA MWEETWA  –
THREE Lusaka-based men accused of attempting to murder a Police officer before grabbing his AK-47 assault rifle in Chisamba District appeared in court last week.
This is in a case in which Esau Banda, 44, Francis Hamanengo, 32, and Kachinza Tembo, all of Misisi and Chawama townships are jointly charged and facing two counts of attempted murder and aggravated robbery.
In the first count, the three are facing an aggravated robbery charge. They on June 10, 2015 in Chisamba, while armed with a firearm stole an AK-47 rifle valued at K8,700 a property of Chisamba Police Station using violence.
In count two, the three are alleged to have attempted to murder Lawrence Mwanza whom they hacked several times in the head leaving him for dead.
Kabwe magistrate Chimuka Mutafela said the three just appeared for explanation of the charge and could not take plea because that could only be taken in the High Court.
The magistrate said the State was yet to receive instructions from the Director of Public Prosecutions on their committal to the High Court.
The three are remanded in custody and are expected to appear in court next week.

She gives Chibuku to my 2-year-old daughter – hubby

By SARAH MWANZA –
A MAN of Lusaka’s Lilanda Township told a fully-packed Matero local court that he got his child from the mother without her permission because she was in the habit of patronising bars with her.
He said his wife had no time to cook for the child, hence she resorted to giving the child opaque beer known as Chibuku.
This is a case in which Prisca Bwalya, 22, sued Noy Nyendwa, 30, for child custody after Nyendwa got their child without permission.
Nyendwa said last year his wife abandoned him with his two-year-old child and started patronising bars and never had time to look after the child.
He explained that the child was being forced to drink Chibuku at the time the mother was drinking.
Nyendwa further said the health of the child was deteriorating due to poor diet, hence his decision to get her from the mother without her permission.
“Let her continue drinking beer as I take care of my child. I don’t want my child to die of malnutrition when I am alive and capable of taking care of her,” he said.
But in her statement, Bwalya denied all the allegations levelled against her. She said her husband got the child because she refused to reconcile with him.
She said the two had two children and the husband only decided to get the youngest just to get back at her.
Bwalya said from the time the two separated, her husband had been forcing her to reconcile with him but she had been refusing because she was not interested.
“I just want him to give me back the child because no matter what he does, I will never reconcile with him,” Bwalya said.
Senior local court magistrate Lewis Mumba, sitting with Pauline Newa, could not grant the custody of the child to Bwalya, saying that the two were still legally married.
The court, however, advised the couple to sue for divorce so that the court could decide who could got the custody of the child.