Shikapwasha had 12 baby mamas, court hears
LATE Lieutenant General reverend Ronnie Shikapwasha’s commitment to fulfilling the biblical command of filling this earth came to the fore yesterday as his daughter revealed that he had 12 children outside wedlock, each with their own mother.
All together, Lt Shikapwasha had 18 children.
The information emerged during the continued trial of 73-year old Jane Lusengo in the Lusaka High Court for the alleged murder of the former retired ZAF commander general Shikapwasha on January 15, 2024, during a marital dispute.
During the continued cross examination of his daughter Vanessa by defense lawyer Gilbert Lindani, lady Justice Conceptor Zulu heard that the former minister of home affairs who was a church reverend was a quite committed to the biblical command of filling the earth.
Vanessa who denied being deported from China when she went for studies within a space of two months in 2004 on reasons that she was pregnant said she only lived with the couple for a few days and she was wedded.
The 38-year old denied being begrudged towards Lusengo for influencing her father to eject her from the house on several occasions when she was deported from China.
When asked if her father had filed a petition for divorce, for the dissolution of his marriage to Lusengo Vanessa denied.
She denied conniving with her aunt to draft the bill of divorcement during the night of the shooting incident.
Vanessa confirmed that Lusengo would write draft job application letters for her to copy from but she did not write the bill of divorcement.
She also denied witnessing her father draft the Bill of divorcement.
Vanessa said Abner was arrested together with Lusengo but was released on a condition that he be turned into a State witness.
When asked if she was aware that Abner’s mother was Lusengo’s maid and was eject from the annex at her father’s home when she fell pregnant, Vanessa expressed ignorance saying she was only told about Abner’s uncle who worked as a chef of the Shikapwashas.
She confirmed that her father was legally married twice and had four children with his first wife and two with Lusango.
Vanessa who confirmed having been introduced to her stepmother at church said herself and 11 other children were born outside the couple’s marriage and each child has their own mother.
She said the late Shikapwasha has 18 children which is inclusive of the 6 legitimate children.
Vanessa said she wouldn’t know if the deceased has twins in Tanzania and other children born in Rwanda and Mozambique.
Shikapwasha’s daughter clarified that Lusengo never had children out of wedlock or outside marriage.
She said following the arrest of her stepmother, she only visited her once in prison. At this point Lusengo made a ‘hum’ sound as she expressed her disappointment.
Vanessa said after the funeral, she packed out of her father’s house and she is now squatting at former first Lady Maureen Mwanawasa’s house in Roma park.
She said on the fateful day she thought Lusengo was running away from general Shikapwasha as he would always beat her over her unfaithfulness, not until she saw her with a double barrel shotgun.
“Milika told me dad would always beat her up (Lusengo) because of infidelity. On that day I thought she was running away from dad because he would normally beat her but I didn’t see dad chasing her when I saw her with the gun,” Vanessa said.
She told the Court that whenever general Shikapwasha battered his wife, he would take her to Maureen’s house so that she could tend to her swelling from the beatings.
“Whenever he beat her up he would take her to aunt Maureen,” Vanessa said.
She said Lt General Shikapwasha never allowed his wife to own a phone in the last three years of their marriage and whenever someone wanted to talk to her, they had to call him and he would put the phone on loud speaker.
Vanessa also disclosed that her father was a possessive lover who accompanied his wife to kitchen parties and he never allowed her to go anywhere without him.
During cross examination by another defense lawyer M Musukwa Vanessa confirmed that Lusengo reciprocated her husband’s affection when he gave her mangoes whilst joking that it was the sweet fruit that Adam gave to Eve.
When asked if her father would commit adultery and accuse his wife of being unfaithful, Vanessa confirmed.
She further admitted that Lusengo took in the late Shikapwasha’s children notable among them Milika, Tivo, Abner and herself and raised them as her own.
She added that during investigations, she told the police officers about the other guns that were in the house which included a pistol and an AK 47 riffle.
Trial continues on May 29.
By Mwaka Ndawa
Kalemba May 22, 2024.
Praise be to him. Without him Zambia’s popuplation would be minus 18 as we speak. POWER is in numbers.
Poor woman was married to a monster pretending to be holy.
Go forth and multiply. However the number of children that the general had has nothing to do with the murder trial. This seems to be a case of domestic violence gone bad. It seems the general was physically and mentally abusing the old woman until she could take it no more and let him have it. The best she can do is plead guilty to manslaughter and beg for leniency from the court because of the excruciating circumstances under which the crime took place which the court should take into consideration and give her a lenient sentence. Further more even after she is found guilty she can still be pardoned by the President looking at the circumstances but the first step is that she must accept what she has done even if it was in a fit of anger that’s when other things can be considered. The more she denies it the more difficult it will be for her.
In most cases, cheating partners are always too possessive &would accompany even to functions like Kitchen parties! Always thinking she would do what he does.
Courts cases are brutal and always brings out the most embarrassing family secrets. Iyo kwena