MUTINTA MULAYE writes
@SunZambian
THE Boma Local in Lusaka has reconciled two neighbours of Kalingalinga Township after one of them sued the other claiming she had insulted her.
Dophine Kanenga, 41, businesswoman took Rodgers Songela to court seeking compensation.
Kanenga told senior local court magistrate Freda Mugala that Songela insulted and embarrassed her and she wanted the court to discipline him.
“Earlier this month, there was an issue over the toilet in the yard. The landlord’s daughter came to ask if the issue had been resolved. Mr Songela’s sister came from nowhere and started asking what we were talking about,” Kanenga said.
She said later in the evening when Songela came home, he verbally abused her.
“I don’t know what his sister told him, but he started insulting and threatening me. He wanted to beat me and even picked stones. He told me ‘nizaku payani noku shokelani nyumba [I’ll kill you and burn your house]’,” Kanenga testified.
She said her children ran to the police station but by the time the police came Songela had already run away.
“When the police left he came back and continued insulting me,” Kanenga said.
Songela denied insulting his neighbour but told the court all he did was shout at her.
“The words I used where ‘pa door pamwandi tepakwiminina [don’t stand at my door step]’. I told her if I find anything on my door I would hold her accountable because I used to find my flowers destroyed and it’s only her who has little children in that yard,” he said.
Songela said Kanenga said something about him not having children and when she said that he told her she should know something for her to be uttering such statements.
“She is very hard to deal with. So I shouted at her, but I never used insults. Actually, when I was shouting she was also responding,” he said.
The court found that Songela’s sister was to blame because she started the issue between the two neighbours.
Magistrate Mugala said insults must have been there because Songela himself said he was shouting.
Also, he was not present when the police were called on him.
The court, however, reconciled the two to neighbours and advised them to maintain peace.
