RABECCA BANDA writes
@SunZambian
A MAN of Lusaka will have to pay K2,200 as compensation for failing to control his barbed tongue and defaming another man.
The Chilenje Local Court ordered Kedrick Sichimata, 37, of Chunga Township to pay his father in-law Enos Daka, 47, of Bauleni Township for insulting him.
Daka told the court that Sichimata was his son in-law who was married to one of his daughters.
He said Sichimata’s child was very sick and he begged him and his wife to take care of the patient.
“We took the child and started taking care of the child. We tried all types of medicine but the diarrhea didn’t stop,” Daka said.
“Our grandchild died. After the burial I received 14 messages from my son-in-law insulting and accusing me of being a wizard,” he said.
Daka said Sichimata wrote messages such as “…unprintable, beast, she is not your daughter, murderer, wizard, son of a bitch, I am innocent, you cannot run away, you killed my baby, you bitch)”.
“He later sent another message which said ‘please, please, I am sorry in the name of God’” he said.
“We sat but my son-in-law is disrespectful. It is not the first time he has insulted us. At first he insulted his sisters-in-law and my wife, too,” Daka said.
The two were appearing before senior local court magistrate Ackim Phiri.
Sichimata confirmed that Daka was his father-in-law.
He said his child was sick and was being taken care of by his in-laws. After his daughter died and was buried he had a dispute with his wife.
“My wife was staying at her parents’ house. When I called her on a Monday, she said she didn’t want to talk to me,” he said.
Sichimata said his wife switched off her phone and he called on his father-in-law’s number but again she refused to talk to him.
“My father-in-law then said there was no marriage and that he had taken the children. I got upset and I sent him messages that he was a wizard and insulted him,” he said.
Sichimata said he felt bad that his child had died and now his wife and the other children had been taken away from him.
“I was upset and in grief. I didn’t know what I was doing,” he said.
The court ordered Sichimata to pay K2,200 as compensation for defamation of character.
