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The courtroom was still as witness Vanessa Shikapwasha recounted the chilling moments leading up to the shooting of her father, former Zambia Air Force commander, Ronald Shikapwasha, and its aftermath.
Facing Judge Conceptor Chinyawa-Zulu, Vanessa detailed the sequence of events that transpired on that fateful day of January 14, 2024, at the family Ibex Hill residence.
This is a matter in which Jane Lusengo, 73, is accused of shooting to death her husband, Shikapwasha.
Lusengo pleaded not guilty.
Vanessa, 38, narrated how the day began with mundane chores and familial interactions, only to spring into chaos.
Her testimony revealed a tense atmosphere within the household, punctuated by discussions about alleged infidelity.
According to Vanessa, the situation took a dire turn when her mother, Jane Lusengo, allegedly shot her father.
She vividly described the moments following the shooting, including her mother’s actions and her own frantic efforts to seek help.
One of the most gripping moments of her testimony was her account of her father’s final words, accusing her mother of his impending demise.
This accusation, coupled with the revelation of her father’s diary titled the “Bill of Divorcement” and a bible scripture, Deuteronomy 24:1, found among her father’s belongings, added layers of intrigue to an already perplexing case.
Deuteronomy 24:1 stated: If a man marries a woman who becomes displeasing to him because he finds something indecent about her, and he writes her a certificate of divorce, gives it to her, and sends her from his house.”
She testified that hours before the shooting, her mother had opened up about the couple’s misunderstandings.
“I followed up with a question if Dad was arguing again? That is concerning her issues of infidelity, food poisoning, and their fights.
And she responded, “It is not just the talking. Then I interjected and told her if she felt that the situation puts her life in danger, she could leave and go abroad for at least two months just for a breather, but she refused.
She said it will not help resolve their issues and thought the best would be to be re-employed by the government and that the main cause of dad’s behavior towards her is because he didn’t have money.
After that, “I told her that if she felt it would help it’s okay she would go ahead because she wanted to approach the President for the job,” she narrated.
Vanessa stated that it was around 16:30 hours when she heard a loud sound, likening it to a tire burst.
But some seconds later, her mother came out of the bedroom into the passage hall, shouting in panic.
She added that when she met the accused in the passage hall, she was carrying a gun in her hand and confessed she might have killed the husband.
Vanessa recalled her mother’s words, “maybe I shot him, I don’t know, maybe I shot him” and she said she needed to hide the gun somewhere.”
“In the bedroom daddy said, Jane, you have killed me because of your infidelity and kept telling us that he was about to die, and mum was quiet she didn’t respond. See Jane, you have killed me because of your infidelity, see Jane, I’m dying because of your infidelity,” she said.
Vanessa said her father confessed those words while agonizing from the gunshot wounds inflicted on him by her mother.
Some of the evidence presented in court was the weapon used in the act of the offense and also the pieces of papers from his diary.
The trial continues on May 14, 2024.
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