Court reconciles brother, sister – they were fighting over property left by their dead mother

RABECCA BANDA writes

THE Chilenje Local Court has reconciled a sister and a brother who had been fighting over the property left by their dead mother.

Christian Kwenda, 44, a businessman of Libala South, Lusaka, sued his younger sister, Lilian Kwenda, 42, also of Libala South.

Christian told the court that when their mother died Lilian was chosen as the administrator of her estate.

He said his sister had not been transparent in her role as administrator in terms of sharing money.

“Our late mother left a house in which I and our father where staying, but my sister asked us to shift,” he said.

“I refused [to move out] because I was the one taking care of our father. Later, we shifted and went to stay with my father somewhere else,” Christian said.

He asked Lilian to give him the title deeds so that they could put a caveat on the property, but she refused to hand over the papers.

“My young brother died. He left a child but she doesn’t give that child any money,” he said.

“The biggest problem is sharing the money equally,” Christian said. “I told her that she should come out from being an administrator and she said I should take her to court if I wanted her removed. That’s why I sued her,” he said.

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

But Lilian said they had disputes from the beginning because of the money.

She said their late mother suffered high blood pressure because of the same disputes over money.

“My two brothers have connived to be getting money belonging to our other sister who is in a special class,” she said.

“They have plotted to remove me as administrator. I never chased my brother and father out of the house,” Lilian said.

“I told my brother to be paying land rates if he wanted to continue staying in that house for free,” she said.

She said Christian decided to leave the house so that they could put it on rent.

“He said that if he is not the administrator, he wants to be in charge of the title. I refused because he likes getting loans and can sell our house,” she said.

Lilian said he had suggested that their father shifted to her home so that she could take care of him, but Christian refused.

“He insisted on staying with our father because he wanted to be receiving our father’s share of the money from the rentals,” she said.

Christian wanted to be using the money for his own agendas.

“I don’t know what my brothers are planning against me,” she said.

The court reconciled them and ordered that Lilian should continue as administrator and told her never to give the certificate of title to Christian.

The court’s decision seems to have brought some peace among the siblings, but how long it will hold is yet to be seen.