‘Widows’ finally paid

By NATION REPORTER

THREE women who had dragged a widow to the Victim Support Unit (VSU) for allegedly failing to give appropriate benefits to the children of her late husband, as instructed by the Lusaka High Court, have finally been paid their children’s dues.

The widow, Chileshe Chimfwembe Nkoloma, is alleged to have sold properties left behind by her late husband but failed to give the children 65 percent of the proceeds as agreed in the consent judgment.

The three women Juliet Nsemiwe, Ruth Simunji and Mwaka Mvula, who each had a child with Ms. Nkoloma’s husband, dragged her to the police.

The women had earlier said in separate interviews that it was inhuman for Ms Nkoloma to allegedly go against a High Court order and dispose of property without sharing the proceeds with all the rightful beneficiaries who included their children.

After an expose’ by the Daily Nation, a long battle and drama which included Ms Nkoloma refusing to appear before the Lusaka Central police VSU where she was summoned, she has finally paid the women their dues.

The three women however could not disclose the amounts they were paid, but said they accepted their allocations after involving the office of the Arbitrator General.

They said they wanted peace to reign because the matter had resulted in bad blood among the parties involved. The court had ruled that the net proceeds of the property, an estate of late Mupeta Nkoloma of plot number 6426/1 Vubu road, Emmasdale in Lusaka, among others, be distributed with the children getting 65 percent and the surviving spouse 35 percent after being sold. However, despite the High Court consent judgment specifying the mode of sharing the property, Ms. Nkoloma had allegedly neglected to share, as directed under the consent order, and had further allegedly changed one property into her own name without authority or recourse of the beneficiaries.