AFIFTEENYEAROLD girl of Mompe Trust School in Chunga Township is absconding classes after her teacher’s wife threatened to kill her forallegedly going out with him. The girl told the Matero local court that Dalitso Phiri, 23, the wife of her teacher, Jonathan Mwamba, 27, has been harassing her for allegedly being a husband snatcher. She was testifying in a matter in which she sued Phiri for defamation of character. “My life is in danger, I have for some weeks now not been going to school because Phiri has been threatening to kill me. She also said she will bewitch me because I have broken her home,” the girl said.

The juvenile said Phiri at one time went to her parents house and started accusing her of going out with Mwamba. The girl said there is nothing going on between her and Mr Mwamba and he is only her teacher. “On March 5, Phiri came home. My mother had received some visitors but she did not excuse herself, she just went in and started saying that I should be tamed,” she said. Phiri, in her defence, told the court that the girl has been calling her husband at night.

She said Mwamba has on several occasions confessed to her that he has been going out with the girl. “My husband confessed in the presence of the pastor that the parents of the girl know him and that he will marry her,” Phiri said. She told the court that the girl has also been calling her that she will not stop going out with her husband. Phiri said her marriage has broken down from the time the juvenile started going out with her husband. And Mwamba told the court that there is nothing between him and the girl.

“The law is very clear that teachers should not go out with their pupils. I gave my number to all my pupils to call me whenever they encounter a challenge with their academic work,” he said. In passing judgement Magistrate Pauline Newa ordered Phiri to compensate the juvenile with K 2,000 for defaming her character. The girl was also advised to report the matter to th