Lusaka housewife loses defamation case

MUTINTA MULAYE writes

A LUSAKA Local Court has dismissed a case of defamation in which a woman of Kalingalinga sued her friend who allegedly called her a prostitute at a church gathering.
Rebecca Banda, 44 sued Ruth Chewe, 39 of the same compound seeking to be compensated for defamation.
But Boma Local Court Magistrate Gaston Kalala dismissed the case for insufficient evidence.
Banda said that one day when they were having a meeting at church, Chewe came and went in and accused her of unfaithfulness in her marriage.
“She came in the hall in the presence of many people and announced that I had been caught red handed with another man. She even forced me to admit,” said Banda.
She further said that Chewe openly claimed that she saw her committing adultery and she forced to admit the same in the church.
“She told people that I only know how to preach and sing well in church but I am a promiscuous woman and fond of insulting. She tarnished my name with false accusations and caused problems for me at church,” said Banda.
She also told the court that one day she had gone to collect money from someone who owed her at the bank around 20:00 and when she did not find him she went to a nearby place where she thought she would find him.
“I did not know my husband was following me. He assumed I was having an affair with someone who I was meeting there when I simply went to get my money. He started fighting with the man. That’s where this woman got the story from and took the issue to church,” Mrs Banda stated.
Chewe however denied the allegations and explained to the court that one evening as she was on her way home, she heard noise and followed to see what was happening.
“I found Banda and her husband and he was fighting with another man who he had found his wife with in a room at a lodge. I asked him what was happening and he himself told me he had caught his wife in an act of adultery,” explained Chewe.
She told the court that she had never called Banda a prostitute at church but all she did was confirm the story which had already been taken to church by Banda’s husband.
Banda’s husband who came as Chewe’s witness told the court that one evening his wife told him she was going to collect debt from someone.
“I let her go and she thought I went back. I saw her enter a lodge and I followed her. I saw her enter a room where a man was waiting for her. I went and questioned her and I started fighting with the man because he attacked me,” Mr Banda stated.
He then decided to take his wife to elders at church where she was told to step down as chair lady and they were advised to take the matter to the family.
“Otherwise I did not hear Chewe call her a prostitute in church,” he said
The court found that it was Banda’s husband who had taken the issue of adultery to church and Chewe merely confirmed the issue and dismissed the case.