A MAN’s good deed of offering his toilet to a neighbour who did not have one has backfired spectacularly in Lusaka’s Chaisa Compound, landing him in court as a plaintiff against the very person he helped.
What began as a simple act of kindness spiraled into a bizarre case of public urination, verbal abuse, and an unexpected strip show, forcing Francis Mbewe to take his neighbour, Agness Phiri, to court.
One would wonder, how offering a toilet to a neighbour could lead to court or Nkana supporters ‘amalumbo’ or the Pretoria High Court scenes after Government won the repatriation case on Friday.
Well, the dispute began when Mbewe, 45, allowed Phiri, 54, to use his family’s toilet.
However, the courtesy was short-lived, as Phiri and her children began using the facility without cleaning it.
The situation escalated further when Phiri started urinating in Mbewe’s yard instead of the very toilet they accommodated her with.
When Mbewe tried to address the issue, Phiri allegedly responded with a stream of insults.
But the most outrageous incident occurred one evening when a drunk Phiri returned home and spotted Mbewe and his family sitting outside.
“I couldn’t believe my eyes, Agness returned home drunk at 19:00 hours, spotted me and my siblings sitting outside, and in full view of us all, began to remove her underwear and urinate right on our yard, just steps away from our front door. It was appalling and disrespectful, and that was when I knew I couldn’t let this go on any longer,” he stated.
“I watched a film without having to pay for it,” Mbewe told the Matero Local Court.
Mbewe’s wife testified that Phiri’s drunken insults had become a regular and distressing occurrence, with crude comments hurled at the couple.
“Agness doesn’t hold back when insulting us, going as far as demeaning my husband’s manhood and my intimate parts. She claims that my private parts smell and discharge dirty water, attacking our dignity and sense of self-worth in the worst ways possible,” the wife testified.
In her defense, Phiri denied the allegations, calling on God to clear her name.
But senior magistrate lewis mumba swiftly silenced her, focusing on the facts of the case. He chastised Phiri for the age-related insults.
“What kind of example do you think you are setting for young girls in our society?” Magistrate Mumba questioned.
Magistrate Mumba ordered Phiri to pay Mbewe K5,000 in compensation. He also issued a strict restraint order, warning that any further insults from Phiri or her family would lead to swift and severe repercussions.
“This money is to serve as a reminder that words have power and that insulting someone is never acceptable. Your insults towards Mbewe were not only hurtful, but illegal.”
By Sharon Zulu
Kalemba August 11, 2024
