COUSIN ACCUSED OF SENDING LIGHTNING
A Ndola man has narrated in court how he was almost struck by lightning which he suspected to have been sent by his cousin. Lazarous Mulenga sued his cousin, Cephas Kapasa, for compensation for defamation of character in Kabushi Local Court.
Mulenga told the court that in 2019 he lost his daughter and after burial he told his family that he should not hear anyone say anything concerning her death because he was already hearing rumours.
He said after three weeks, Kapasa and another cousin visited him and told him that they had discovered that his elder brother killed his daughter.“Your honour, I did not want to be part of this, so they went ahead and held a family meeting to tell my elder brother and I don’t know what came up from that meeting,” he said.
He said this year in May he heard from his wife that one of his cousins was in Kaputa district.“Your honour, I was then almost struck by lightning at Masala Market, and I thank God I was not hit,” he said.Mulenga said later his son met his cousin who allegedly warned him (plaintiff) that he would kill him and that at the funeral he won’t cry.He said Kapasa recently came to his place and started shouting that he was coming from Kaputa.
Mulenga said Kapasa went on to accuse him of being a wizard who fights him in spirit and wanted to kill his children.Mulenga said the defendant warned him that he would kill him and burn his house if he did not stop practising witchcraft.“Your honour, all this was happening while my neighbours watched,” he said.
Mulenga’s wife, Lizzy, who stood as his witness confirmed to the court that Kapasa visited their home and accused her husband of being a wizard.In defence, Kapasa admitted in court that he had approached Mulenga at his house to tell him to stop bewitching his daughter.“I told him that I am not a tool like him who allowed his daughter to die, so I wanted him to stop,” he said.
He said he made all these accusations at his house and also dared him to take him to court.When the matter came up for judgment, Senior Presiding magistrates John Kabwe and Emeldah Masuwa ordered Kapasa to compensate Mulenga with K5,000 to be paid in instalments of K500.
CREDIT: ZDM