Mother of 14-year-old maid, allegedly killed by employers, speaks of her agonies

The mother of a 14-year-old maid, who was allegedly killed by her employers has spoken of her gut-wretching final conversation with her daughter.

With tears underlining her eyes, Constance Mwelwa, a youthful mother from Mansa district in Luapula Province, revealed that a day before her daughter, Janet Chola Mpundu, died, she had on phone told her that she was dying.

She was testifying in matter, Chanda Majory Lulembo, 30, a medical personnel and her husband, Smart Mumba, 36, a lecturer, of Chalala residential area, are charged with the murder of Janet between August 28 and 30, 2023.

The couple pleaded not guilty to the offence before Lusaka High Court Judge Vincent Siloka.

The mother of the victim, Mwelwa was first to testify stating that she allowed Janet to travel to Lusaka because Chanda on phone had given her assurance that her daughter would be well looked after by the couple.

She explained that Chanda had clearly stated that Janet was not going to be kept as a maid but like their own child and would be sent to school.

“On phone, Ba Chanda promised me that she would take care of my daughter like her own child. She informed me that the girl was not going there to work as a maid. That her intentions were to educate my daughter. She said after my daughter knocks off from school, she would assist taking care of the kids,” she stated.

She testified that Chanda immediately sent K500 transport money and Janet was on the next day, aboard a bus to Lusaka.

But what seemed to be a promising future for Janet seemingly turned sour two months after when she received a call through her brother’s phone that Janet had turned into a naughty child.

Mwelwa said Chanda told her that Janet was in a habit of eating the baby’s porridge.

She added that she was told in Bemba language, that if she did not want to receive a dead body of Janet, she should send money for transport.

“She told me ‘ngatamulefwaya ukupokelela umwana wenu icitumbi, mutume ulupiya ulwakwendela”.

Mwelwa stated that she then requested to speak to Janet to confirm the truth.

However, she said her daughter could not clearly speak or confirm having been eating baby’s porridge.

She just said ‘mayo ndefwa’, meaning ‘mother I am dying.’

Mwelwa said she then asked Janet if she had been beaten, of which she answered in the affirmative.

She said Chanda got the phone from her daughter and said the words she had earlier uttered about sending Janet in a form of a corpse was just a joke and would take the girl to the clinic.

Mwelwa then requested to speak to Mumba, but Chanda told her that he was not around.

She testified that she warned Lulembo that if anything bad was to happen to Janet, she should know what to do.

Sadly, the next day, she was called that Janet had died.

When asked in cross-examination if her intentions of the testimony were to have the couple convicted, Mwelwa admitted that she would be happy if the court help her get justice for Janet by sending them to jail.

Trial continues on May 9, 2024.

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