The wife of Zambian musician Elton Mulenga, known as Yo Maps, has testified in court, detailing how social media threats have left her living in fear.
Appearing before the Lusaka Magistrates’ Court, 26-year-old Kidist yesterday expressed distress at seeing Facebook blogger Elias Musyani smiling in the dock despite allegedly making threats that disrupted her family’s life.
Kidist told the court that Musyani’s online posts, in which he allegedly threatened to rape her, assault her husband, and abduct their daughter, had caused her immense emotional trauma.
“I had to withdraw my daughter from school because I feared for her safety. I stopped going to the gym, knowing that he was aware of my location. I minimized my movements and even had to halt some of my business activities,” she testified.
Kidist recounted that on April 7, 2024, she was at Granddaddies with friends when photos and videos from the outing circulated online. The following day, she discovered a Facebook post by Musyani, in which he questioned her husband about their marriage and made inappropriate remarks about the event.
Concerned about the post, Kidist sought legal advice and contacted Musyani through a mutual friend. Initially, Musyani apologized, but days later, on April 12, 2024, he sent WhatsApp messages accusing her of sending lawyers to threaten him. He also allegedly sent a voice recording of a conversation with the law firm.
Between April 12 and 16, 2024, Kidist received a screenshot from Musyani’s page, in which he allegedly claimed to know her home address, her daughter’s school, and the gym she attended. The post reportedly suggested that he could send people to harm her, even if he were imprisoned.
Following these developments, Musyani’s mother contacted Kidist to resolve the issue amicably. However, after Musyani failed to appear when summoned by police, he was later arrested during a meeting at Pamodzi Hotel.
During cross-examination, the defense questioned Kidist about the events of April 7, including whether there were male friends present at the outing. A video from the event was played in court, showing Kidist alongside a man pouring a drink into a woman’s mouth.
Defense lawyers argued that Musyani’s comments were based on the video, though Kidist maintained that the viral content did not justify the alleged threats made against her and her family.
Further questioning explored past conversations between Kidist and Musyani, including an alleged discussion where she reportedly stated that nothing inappropriate had happened because the men in the video were gay, an assertion she could not recall.
When asked if she was gay, she responded negatively.
The case has been adjourned to February 19, 2025.
