THE Matero Local Court has heard how a vulgar-tongued daughter in-law marinated her mother in-law in a bowl of insults on Christmas Day while playing the famous song ‘Nalitumpa Ine’ which was also one of Adada’s favourites.
Bertha Masuku, 55, of Lusaka’s Appolo Compound complained to the court that her daughter in-law, Anna Nkandu, 31, who also happens to be her neighbour was fond of playing condescending music within their premises without regard for the family relationship the duo shared.
Masuku said what shocked her the most was when Nkandu came back home around 23 hours on Jesus’s birthday playing ‘Nalitumpa Ine’ while mentioning her mother in-law’s name and branding her a dog.
Like a staunch Nkana supporter on derby day, Nkandu even threatened to vandalise her mother in-law’s properties for birthing a son ‘without manners.’
“I just heard her outside, shouting that “imwe bamake Dumiso, you are a dog, your son can’t be beating my young sister. I was so hurt that I I wanted to go out and respond but my husband refused me to go out,” she said.
“I still don’t know where that was coming from and if she had quarreled with my son, I don’t know how I was involved in their fight.”
Masuku complained that Nkandu had even threatened to braai and barbecue her with the ferocious Luapula kind of lightning while chorusing hymns of pork laden insults on the Seventh Day Adventist member. .
In her defence, Nkandu admitted to hurling insults but denied mentioning her mother-in-law’s name, saying the words were directed at Masuku’s son.
She said she was instead shocked to learn that Masuku had allegedly sent her youngest son to beat the Nkandu sisters one by one.
Nkandu told the court that Masuku’s youngest son, Dumiso, had beaten her younger sister and that, as the eldest sibling, she was merely defending her family.
“Her youngest son beat my young sister and as he was doing that, he kept mentioning that “kwasale iwe,” mum told me that I should be beating you one by one. Those insults were targeted at her son and not her,” she said.
After hearing sides of the duo’s witnesses, it was established that Nkandu had indeed insulted her mother in-law.
Magistrate Lewis Mumba counselled the two that they were family and that, given the relationship they shared, it was best to resolve the matter through a family meeting.
“Nkandu, you can’t be insulting your in-laws. You have to be disciplined, you didn’t behave well. I advise you to go back home and have a meeting and reconcile. Nkandu, I order you to go and kneel down before your in-laws and apologise,” he ruled.
The magistrate stated that had it not been for the child linking the two families, he would have fined Nkandu K5,000.
“For the sake of the child, go and reconcile, fining you will just bring unnecessary enmity,” said Magistrate Mumba.
By Catherine Pule
Kalemba January 7, 2026
