A former Woodlands B Basic School headteacher says the school was shocked to learn that ZAM president Njoya Tembo’s wife Brenda had been arrested and charged for assault.

In this case, Brenda is alleged to have burnt her niece with a pressing iron for using it without her permission.

She is further alleged to have beaten her niece with a cooking stick.

Testifying before magistrate Greenwell Malumani on Friday was Patricia Lyambai who said she did not see any scars or burns on the girl.

Lyambai, who is Brenda’s witness, said the victim had told her that she was influenced by her friends to report her aunt to the police station for assault.

Lyambai recalled that she had asked the girl to apologise to her aunt.

She said the letter regarding the allegations against Brenda was originated by an unknown person, Mwaka Choolwe, who sent to the United Kingdom office of THET organization, whose country office in Zambia is based in Lusaka where the accused used to work as an operations manager.

Lyambai said Choolwe was not even a member of staff at Woodlands B Basic School adding that the school was in shock after they saw the accused handcuffed and in the presence of police who were following up the case.

But state advocate Hakasenke reminded the witness that three prosecutions witnesses who include the victim, her classmate and teacher testified before court that the girl was assaulted.

Lyambai further said that she wouldn’t love Brenda to be jailed.
Meanwhile, the witness said she met Brenda when she came to the school to report that her niece’s shoes were missing after the teacher threw them out of the window when she entered with the shoes in the classroom against the classroom policy.

Trial continues.