By 
A 63-year-old grandmother, Martha Bwalya, has shared a heartbreaking tale in the Lusaka Magistrate’s Court about caring for her grandchildren, including a four-month-old baby, while their mother, Jane Chilando, goes out to drink a local brew called Kachasu.
Bwalya, visibly pained, told Magistrate Amy Masoja that her daughter, Chilando, 36, would often refuse to breastfeed the baby when she was just a month old.
Chilando, of John Laing Compound in Lusaka, is facing charges of threatening violence after allegedly threatening her mother with an iron bar.
However, as the case progressed, Bwalya expressed her desire to forgive her daughter, despite the challenges she’s faced in caring for the grandchildren.
“I want to forgive her,” Bwalya said, her voice laced with a mix of sadness and concern.
She added,” she used to refuse to breastfeed the baby because it was small..I was upset and wanted her to suffer.”
Bwalya claimed to have endured hard times since her daughter has been in Remand Correctional Facility (Chimbokaila).
The court’s attention was drawn to the fact that Chilando has five children, and her inability to care for them had placed a burden on her mother.
The accused admitted to drinking Kachasu and leaving the children in the care of her mother
When asked the alcohol percentage in Kachasu, Chilando said it was a strong beverage with no known alcohol content.
She, however m, told the trial Magistrate that she had repented from beer drinking and asked for her mother’s forgiveness.
The court opted to adjourn the case to explore Alternative Dispute Resolution and involve social welfare services.
Magistrate Masoja adjourned the matter to Friday, January 10,2024.
WARNING! All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express permission from ZAMBIA MONITOR.
Comments