By VICTORIA KASANGA
THREE siblings of Twapia Township in Ndola have been fined for insulting and beating up their 60-year-old step-mother who has been with their father for 11 years. Mary Malama sued her three step children, Movia Mwape 26, Gomes Mwape 24 and Benjamin Mwape 21 for compensation of insults.
The case was before Kabushi local court senior presiding magistrate Agnes Mulenga sitting with Mildred Namwizye and Evelyn Nalwizya.
Ms Malama said when she got married to their father, she found him with eight children and that she had seven.
She told the court that in October last year, she found Benjamin sitting outside with a bottle of all alcohol as she was returning from the market.
Ms Malama said when he entered the house, he broke the bottle in the house and when she asked him why he did that, he started insulting her.
She said later her step-daughter, Movia walked in with dirty dishes and when she inquired, Benjamin interrupted and started insulted her again.
It was at this point that their mother got upset.
“When I slapped him, his sister got annoyed and they both started insulting and beating me. I called their father and he told me to report them to the police,” she said.
She said she was shocked at the way her stepchildren were acting because she took care of them whenever they came home to visit their father.
Ms Malama said when their father came back, he decided to ask Benjamin to leave the house and when he left, his elder brother Gomes came home asking why I had chased him.
She said the children did not respect her despite having taking care of their father for 11 years and would do whatever they wanted saying it was their father’s house.
In his statement, Benjamin said he did not insult his stepmother and that the reason she brought the matter to court was that he took the last bottle of alcohol which was in the fridge without asking her.
He said when he reached home that day, he found his stepmother drinking and that she also offered him some alcohol but confusion came in when he took the last bottle.
Movia said she did not insult her and that she was just upset because she had slapped her younger brother and that was why she slapped her back.
And Gomes said he only approached her so that he could ask why she had chased his brother and did not insult her.
In passing judgment, the court ordered the siblings to compensate their step-mother with K600 each for insulting her.
The court ordered them to pay in monthly instalments of K200 and to live in total peace for three years.
