A murder-accused has told the Lusaka High Court that his wife told him she loved her boyfriend and enjoyed having sex with him because he was useless and not man enough.

Peter Siwale of Lusaka’s Meanwood area, also admitted that he shot his wife and her lover because he was provoked and thought his life was in danger when they ganged up and started beating him.

In this matter, Siwale, 34, who is charged with two counts of murder, is alleged to have shot dead his wife, Charity Namukoko, a teacher, and her alleged lover, Andrew Chibeka, in the presence of his children.

In the first count, it is alleged that Siwale, on July 27, 2017, murdered his wife.

In the second count, Siwale is also alleged to have killed Chibeka, whom he found with his wife.

But opening his defence before Lusaka High Court judge Catherine Phiri, Monday, Siwale told the court that he was married with Namukoko for 10 years.

He said he started suspecting his wife of having an affair when she would knock off late from work and change her clothes in their daughter’s bedroom.

Siwale informed the court that at one time, he once saw a message on his wife’s phone from her alleged lover saying “he was crazy about her and that he loved her”.

He said on the material day, he went to visit his wife at her work place without informing her because he wanted to prove his suspicions.

Siwale said after waiting for his wife outside her school, he saw her coming out with another man and he decided to follow them.

“I just went there because I wanted to know what time she knocks off, her movements and the truth about my suspicions. I waited up to 17:00 hours but could only see other teachers coming out. I patiently waited for her to come out and around 17:30 hours, she came out with a man. I did not confront them, but followed them behind, slowly. They were walking and I was in a vehicle,” he said.

Siwale said when they approached Meanwood, they reached a point where there were three roads and the two decided to use an abandoned road.

“We were using the middle road. [But] they decided to use the one which everyone had abandoned because it was flooded with sewer water,” he said.

Siwale said he decided to park his vehicle because the road was bad and followed them at a distance.

He said as he was following them, the two branched off a few feet way from the road to where there was some vegetation and started kissing and embracing each other.

“I hid somewhere where I was watching from a distance. They started embracing themselves and kissing,” Siwale narrated.

He said at that point, he was shocked because he never expected his wife to do that.

Siwale said, after kissing, his wife’s lover started undressing her and he couldn’t take it anymore so he decided to confront them.

He said when he asked his wife what she was doing with another man, she said “whatever I saw was exactly what was happening there”.

“Because they were busy kissing, they never saw me when I went towards them. So I just touched their shoulders and they got scared because they didn’t expect anyone. When my wife realised it was me, she looked down and didn’t say anything. I asked her what she was doing with another man at that time. I was shocked with her response,” he said.

Siwale said his wife suddenly started insulting him, saying he was a useless man and that the 10 years they lived together were nothing.

He said at that time, her lover took advantage of the situation and started beating him.

Siwale said after a while, he suggested that the three go to his place to discuss the matter.

“When we reached home, my wife told our children to go to their bedrooms,” he said.

Siwale said, after their children had gone to their bedroom, he grabbed his wife’s handbag and found two face clothes, one wrapped in a plastic.

He said after unwrapping the one in the plastic, he discovered that it was wet.

“When I tried to smell it, it produced a bad smell which I couldn’t smell again. I think it was used for wiping sperms,” Siwale said.

He said after interrogating his wife’s lover, the man confessed that he had no idea that the woman was married because she had lied to him that she was single.

Siwale said after the man apologised to him, his wife stood up and reiterated that he was a useless man and that she enjoyed having sex with her lover.

“He then started apologizing to me but my wife stood up and said ‘why are you even apologising to him, he’s just a useless man’. That I was not man enough, she loved her lover and even enjoyed having sex with him,” he said.

Siwale said at this point, his wife informed him that she was going to leave the house with the man and take the children with her.

He said when he tried pleading with her not to leave the house, she said she had already made up her mind and there was nothing he could do.

Siwale disclosed that he shot the two because he was provoked and thought his life was in danger when they ganged up on him and started beating him.

“As they were trying to leave the house, I touched the man. She got an umbrella and whipped me on my hand. I was in so much pain that I sat down and couldn’t do anything. I called my son, and when he came, I told him to go to our bedroom and bring whatever he would find under the bed. He brought the firearm. When my son left, she insisted that she was going to leave with my children. But when they wanted to make an exit, I blocked them but she hit me with an umbrella again,” said Siwale.

“When I pushed her, the man attacked me and started beating me. I became desperate and couldn’t do anything. When I realised that my life was in danger because they were both beating me, that’s how I got the firearm and defended myself. I shot both of them. I was provoked.”

Siwale said he then called his neighbour and asked her to escort him to the police as he had committed an offence.

In cross examination, Siwale said when the couple was facing those problems, they never engaged their family members.