Maravi

Nawakwi wins rape threat case

Nawakwi wins rape threat case
By Abigail Chaponda in Ndola
Sat 02 Feb. 2013, 12:30 CAT

CHIEF resident magistrate Collins Lundah yesterday convicted former UPND national youth chairman Joe Kalusa and fined him KR10,000 for threatening to organise cadres to gang rape FDD leader Edith Nawakwi.

And in an interview after Kalusa's conviction, Nawakwi said it was sad that women in Zambia were regarded as weaker vessels.

Kalusa was charged with one count of threatening violence.
Matters before court were that Kalusa, 40 on September 14, 2012, allegedly issued the threat in Ndola to the effect that he would organise cadres to "gang rape" the opposition leader.

Kalusa had vowed to organise UPND youths on the Copperbelt to 'gang rape' Nawakwi in order to teach her to respect married men like UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema.
His threats were issued after due to Nawakwi's criticism of Hichilema in the media.

In passing judgment, magistrate Lundah said out of the KR10,000, five thousand should be given to Nawakwi as compensation.

He said the KR10,000 should be paid within three days in default nine months imprisonment.
Lundah said he regarded every woman as his mother, sister and daughter, and that women should be respected.

He said that insulting a woman was as good as insulting one's mother.
"Politicians should always remember to talk about issues and not insult each other. Talk about issues that are affecting people and not who has children with who and who is having sex with who. Use civil language to each other and not insults," he said.

And Nawakwi said many children, women and grandmothers were being abused and threatened with permanent injuries where they live or at their work of places.

"I wish to commend the magistrate, he has set precedence. He has written the law that shall be followed from on onwards. Up until this point, our menfolk did not realise that verbal violence is a criminal offence under the Penal Code," she said.

Labels: CADRES, COURTS, EDITH NAWAKWI, JOE KALUSA, POLITICAL VIOLENCE, RAPE, UPND

posted by MrK @ 8:12 PM