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No compensation for defamed neighbour

RABECCA BANDA writes

AN ATTEMPT by a Lusaka resident to ‘squeeze’ some money out of her neighbour in form of compensation for alleged defamation flopped when the Chilenje Local Court dismissed her case and reconciled the two parties.

Ruth Mumba, 20, of Bauleni Township, sued Webby Busali, 41, of the same area for accusing her and her family of practicing witchcraft.

Mumba told the court she and Busali were neighbours and that he called her a witch on April 18, 2018.

She said on the date, Busali stood opposite the main window of their house and called her a witch.

“He called my name at first and I did not answer. He called again, then I answered,” Mumba said.

“Upon answering him, he said I was a witch together with my entire family. His wife came and pulled him back to their house. That’s how he left,” she said.

Mumba said Busali had defamed her name and that of her family and demanded that he compensate her.

“I want him to tell me here in court how many people we have killed,” she said.

“We stopped talking to each other because of what he said,” Mumba said.

The two were appearing before presiding local court magistrate Patrick Nyirenda.

In his defence Busali said he was surprised when Mumba’s older sister went to his house at night on April 18, 2018.

“Her elder sister knocked on my door and my wife opened. She started shouting and asked me why I had called them witches,” he said.

Busali said he told her that he had not called them witches and was surprised that she had sued him.

“I never called her and family witches. I don’t even talk to her,” he said.

Magistrate Nyirenda reconciled them and ordered them to live in harmony as good neighbours.

He, however, warned Busali to stop uttering bad words that were meant to hurt his neighbours.

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