‘Hule’ posting costs woman K4,000

RABECCA BANDA writes

@SunZambian

A POSTING on Facebook has proved costly for a Lusaka woman after a local court found her guilty of defaming the character of another woman.

The court has ordered her to pay another woman K4,000 compensation for defaming her and remove the posting of her picture from social media.

Nayachi Chimuti, 34, an internal auditor of Kabwata, was ordered to cough up the money after she was successfully sued by Charlotte Mwambo, 31, a business woman of Chilenje Township.

Mwambo testified that she joined a women’s village bank savings group called ‘Let’s Build’ earl this year.

She said members of the group met every Sunday at shop number 152, Chilenje Market.

“At first I got a loan of K3,000, which I paid back with interest of 20 percent. Then I got another loan of K9,000 at 20 percent interest and together it came to be K10,800,” Mwambo said.

“I invested the money in a take-away business in Chilanga. I informed her [Chimuti] about my move because she is the chairlady of the group,” Mwambo said.

“It was some three weeks ago when I started receiving calls from Ndola that my photo was posted on Zed Hule Kawalala Facebook group,” Mwambo said.

“She posted my photo on the Zed Hule Kawalala group saying that I had stolen money. It was before my due date of payment,” Mwambo said.

“Upon seeing the picture, I spoke to the trainee of the group. I promised to pay the money, but they should remove my photo from the Zed Hule Kawalala group,” Mwambo said.

“All I wanted from them was to remove the picture from the Zed Hule Kawalala group and apologise, but they refused and said not until I paid the money,” Mwambo said.

“Because of the post, my business is not doing well. It has created problems in my relationship. My fiance doesn’t want me anymore,” Mwambo said.

The two were appearing before presiding senior local court magistrate Ackim Phiri, who was sitting with Patrick Nyirenda.

Chimuti said on January 13, 2019, Charlotte obtained a K9,000 loan with interest of K1,800.

“The loan was approved on terms to be returned within three months. Upon getting that loan, Charlotte was nowhere to be found,” Chimuti said.

“On the 10th of February, 2019, we called to inform her that she would be removed from the savings group.

“It was a fourth week and she was not showing up for the meeting,” Chimuti said.

“On that basis she immediately sent a K500. Upon making that payment we couldn’t get through to her,” Chimuti said.

“The group sat down and looked into her inconsistencies and engaged Sibongo Police Post in Kamwala South,” Chimuti said.

“She did not turn up and the group sat down again and that’s how we decided to post her on Zed Hule Kawalala Facebook page,” she said.

“Upon posting, she complained why we had posted her on Facebook,” Chimuti said.

“She asked to send a K5,000 so that we should remove her post from the Zed Hule Kawalala group,” she said.

“But we refused saying not until she paid the money she was owing,”Chimuti said.

But the court ordered her to pay Mwambo K4,000 as compensation with the first installment of K1,000 and thereafter K400 every month.

The court also ordered her to reverse the words on social media and apologise to Mwambo.