Fri, 15 Sep 2017 12:36:49 +0000
By Chintu Malambo
MURDER accused Tshiabu Beno’s maid has told the Lusaka High Court that she found the accused holding a Knife while shouting that she was going to kill slain prominent Businessman Reeves Malambo.
In this matter, Benos, 38, of Ibex Hill, is being represented by five lawyers from the legal aid clinic for women, and another lawyer Barnabas Bwalya from Kaswata and Company.
She is accused of murdering Mr Malambo after a fight on 29th January 2017.
Testifying before High Court judge Gertrude Chawatama was Tamara Machere 27, who told the court how her employeer, Benos kept shouting that she was going to kill Mr Malambo on the fateful night he lost his life.
Ms Machere told the court that prior to the murder of Mr Malambo, she stayed with Benos and worked as a maid in Ibex.
“It was on a Sunday on 29th January 2017, around 19:00 hours when my boss’s husband Reeves Malambo asked if his wife was around. I told him they had gone to visit a patient at the University Teaching Hospital (UTH). He left and said he would communicate with them later. At around 22:00 hours, my boss and her brother Mumba Mutanuka came back from the hospital,” she said.
Ms Machere said around 23:00 hours, she heard some voices shouting in Nyanja language that ‘wachilamo Reeves kunimenya, nizakupaya’ meaning it’s too much of beating me Reeves, I will kill you.
She said after hearing those words, she walked to the passage from her room and found Benos’ brother Mutuka holding Mr Malambo while taking him to his car with Benos following behind them holding a knife.
Ms Machere however, told the court that Mr Malambo was walking slowly as he was being taken to his car outside the house.
And when asked to describe the kind of knife she saw, Ms Machere said it was a long sharp knife with a cross on the edge.
She said when Mr Malambo was taken outside, Tshaiabu tried to open his car but failed and ended up using hers to take him to the hospital.
Her brother Mutuka asked me to escort them to the hospital, however, when I rushed inside to put my baby on my back, I found them gone.
She told the court that after a short while, Benos brother called her to ask her to give two men a blanket.
She said two arrived and announced that Mr Malambo had died.
And another witness who is Mr Malambo’s nephew testified that prior to his death, his uncle was fine and happy.
Trial continues.
