Sat, 11 Feb 2017 09:59:26 +0000
PRECIOUS Longwe said she shot her husband Lubinda Akakanda Litebele because she feared for her life when he charged at her.
Longwe said she did not throw away the gun after the first shot because she was afraid that her husband would strangle and kill her when he charged at her neck.
Longwe yesterday closed her defence with two witnesses who included her father, Alfonso Longwe, 53, who told court that his son-in-law, Litebele called them (Precious’s parents) between 01-03 in the morning of 25th May, 2016 to complain that Precious was not yet home from a party they attended together.
Mr Longwe explained that it was against their Chewa tradition that an in-law could call at such an awkward hour particularly over a marital dispute.
He told the court that his daughter and Litebele had received traditional pre-marriage counselling and he was surprised that the son-in-law did not adhere to the teachings.
He explained that Litebele called on his mother-in-law’s phone, but that he could hear the conversation as the phone was put on loud speaker.
“On 25th May, 2016 around 01 to 03 hours, but not sure on the exact time, my wife received a phone call from late Lubinda and she put the call on loud speaker.
“I heard Lubinda saying that I have come back home from a party we attended but my friend has not come back home with me,” he said.
Asked whether they had quarreled, Litebele told them to call their daughter and find out.
But that when they called Precious, she explained that she was still at the place the husband left her because he had asked if he could drop off his elder brother first before coming back to pick her, and so they advised her to find her way home.
Mr Longwe expressed his disappointment at the decision by Litebele to call his in-laws at such awkward hour when he should have called the traditional marriage counselor traditionally mandated to hear their marital problems.
He said it was a taboo for a son or daughter in-law to discuss marriage problems with parents, a case which could earn the defaulter a charge to bring a chicken or a fine or both.
And Mr Longwe further told the court that later, Precious had called them to say that she had arrived home, but that before they could go back to sleep, she called them back that there was an accident at her house and her husband had been shot.
Another witness, a marriage counselor Emmanuel Phiri of Lusaka’s Linda Compound also told the court that it was a taboo for an in-law to directly communicate marriage problems to their parents, as the responsibility was mandated on the counselors.
Mr Phiri said he was disappointed with Litebele over his move to call his mother in law when he should have called him as per tradition.
Precious shot her husband Litebele five times following a marital despute.
Justice Newa has since set April 13, 2017 as date for judgment in the matter.
