A 33-year-old married Zambian accountant standing trial for the alleged murder of his girlfriend has told a High Court that he struck her with an iron bar after discovering sexually explicit messages on her phone.
The accused, Edward Mwanamuchele, made the admission while giving evidence in his defence before Chipata High Court Judge Charles Kafunda on Wednesday, July 22, 2026.
Mwanamuchele told the court that he became enraged after reading three separate conversations on the phone of his girlfriend, 25-year-old Rhoda Munkombwe, which he claimed were with men whose contacts had been saved under female names.
He alleged that one of the messages contained sexually explicit exchanges between Munkombwe and a man. According to him, another conversation suggested that she had received money from a different man, while a third allegedly involved plans to meet at a lodge.
The accused said he confronted Munkombwe about the messages, and she allegedly explained that the men provided her with financial assistance and made her feel valued.
Mwanamuchele told the court that he became angry and picked up an iron bar, intending to strike her legs. However, he claimed that he accidentally hit her head when she attempted to shield herself.
He further said that both of them had been drinking high-proof whisky while preparing a meal together at the time of the incident.
The accused, who had reportedly been in a relationship with Munkombwe for about 18 months, insisted that he did not intend to kill her and maintained that he loved her.
According to Eastern Province Police Commanding Officer Robertson Mweemba, the incident occurred in August 2025 at Mwanamuchele's residence in Kanjala, Chipata.
The court heard that Mwanamuchele had earlier sent his wife away after accusing her of misusing money meant for rent before inviting Munkombwe to his home, where the alleged murder occurred.
Police were reportedly alerted by the landlord, who discovered Munkombwe's body with severe injuries to her head, cuts on her legs and bruises across her body.
Mwanamuchele was subsequently arrested and charged with murder.
The trial is continuing before Justice Kafunda.
0 Comments
DISCLAIMER
The views and opinions expressed on this platform as comments were freely made by each person under his or her own volition or responsibility and were neither suggested nor dictated by the owners of News PLATFORM or any of their contracted staff. So we take no liability whatsoever for such comments.
Please take note!