JOHN GENERAL ASKED FOR GUN, COURT HEARS

JOHN GENERAL ASKED FOR GUN, COURT HEARS

After allegedly being caught having sex with a married woman at her residence, Miracle Impact International overseer John Nundwe, alias John General, is said to have asked for a gun so that he could shoot the woman’s husband.

This was heard in court, Friday, during opening of trial in a case Nundwe, 52, is charged with rape.It is alleged that on November 22 last year, the cleric allegedly raped a 26-year-old woman, to be called Jessy.Nundwe pleaded not guilty to the charge and the first witness to testify was a headman from Kahare village in Lusaka’s Balarstone, who will be called Mr Chisha.

The headman told Lusaka magistrate Amy Masoja-Chilangwa that on the material day, Jessy’s husband, pseudonym Mr Tamba, confided in him that he caught his wife having sex with Nundwe.Mr Chisha said he was later taken to Mr Tamba’s house to see the evidence left behind by Nundwe, who is also a bishop.The witness narrated that Mr Tamba informed him that he caught Nundwe and Jessy in the bedroom having sex before the accused fled, leaving behind his clothes and a car.

The court also heard that after the incident, Nundwe sent an apostle to meet Mr Chisha and Mr Tamba for possible reconciliation.Mr Chisha said Nundwe’s lawyers were not comfortable to convene the planned meeting in Kahare village as they felt that it was unsafe for their client.“Mr Nundwe’s lawyers felt that my place was not safe. They were told that no-one would attack them.

That is how the meeting failed to take place,” he said.During cross-examination, defence lawyer Yokonia Daka asked Mr Chisha to tell court from which room the voices of two people heard by Mr Tamba emanated. “From the spare bedroom. He [Mr Tamba] found the man [Nundwe] on top of the woman and asked what was happening.

In response, John General shouted and asked his friend he came with, who was in the sitting room, to bring a gun to shoot Mr Tamba,” he said. “In response, Mr Tamba said that he was also going to get a gun.”Mr Chisha explained that at this point, Mr Tamba went outside to lock the gate to prevent Nundwe and his friend from fleeing.“While this happened, had my client disembarked from the top of Mr Tamba’s wife?” Mr Daka asked.“If caught, can you remain on top?” Mr Chisha responded, as the gallery burst into laughter.“Silence in court!” magistrate Masoja-Chilangwa ordered before guiding Mr Daka to avoid asking questions that solicit an opinion from the witness.

Mr Daka then asked if the witness ever interacted with Jessy on that day, and Mr Chisha said ‘no’.“If you never interacted or met her, we can’t know if this [alleged rape] really happened?” the lawyer asked, as Mr Chisha said the incident happened “because the woman was brought and she was even facing down”.

Another defence lawyer, Elijah Siatwaambo, asked Mr Chisha to confirm that he never saw Nundwe sleeping with Mr Tamba’s wife as alleged, to which he said no. The matter comes up on Aug 1 and 2 for continued trial.

STORY CREDIT Zambia Daily Mail