By EPHRAIM CEASAR
TWO men have been found with a case to answer in the Kanyama Local court after they cut down an old tree in Kanyama west that damaged a woman’s house who now wants to be compensated.
Before the court, Beatrice Chingulo, 52, a single mother sued, Justin Phiri, 46, a self-employed plumber and Mathew Banda, 48, a self-employed plumber of the same locality for cutting down a tree which damaged her house.
Facts are that in June, 2020 Beatrice was away in the village for her father’s funeral when she received a call from her son that their house had been damaged by unknown people after they carelessly cut down the tree which fell on their property.
Chingulo told magistrate A. Michelo that when she came back from the village she found that her house was damaged including her buckets and dishes as well as her iron sheets.
She said when she confronted the offenders they refused to repair the damages and told her to go wherever she wanted because it was their boss who sent them to cut the tree.
She added that other than the house getting damaged the ZESCO power cableS from the pole had been affected and posed a serious threat to human life.
In their defence, Phiri and Banda accepted the charges but disagreed on the amount being claimed by the plaintiff.
“We are not refusing to fix the damage but bvuto niyakuti, uyu muntengo tina gula kuli aba amai ndrama tina tuma mu airtel money and damage ni pa veranda, bucket na dish not malate no ma cracks ayo,” Phiri said
Banda said even the police were called and they told them that damage caused by the tree had not affected the roof and he marks where it fell are clear.
“Mwamene una pita olo ku gwela muntengo muoneka na vintu una pwanya vioneka so ise tina kana vo gula malata nama beam ye aba amai afuna,”Banda said
Meanwhile Magistrate A. Michelo has adjourned the matter to 8th, September, 2020 pending the court’s to visit the scene to assess the damage caused made by Phiri and Banda.
Woman sues tree cutters for compensation
