The Lusaka High Court has heard that Jane Lusengo told a family friend she did not know what had happened but saw her husband, former Zambia Air Force Commander Ronnie Shikapwasha, fall to the floor in their bedroom. This occurred after he had told her they would not have dinner until she confessed to something.
This was revealed in testimony by Prisca Banda Daka, 72, a retired secretary who was staying in a cottage at the Shikapwasha residence in Ibex Hill before his passing.
Lusengo is accused of fatally shooting her spouse on January 15, 2024, using a double-barrel shotgun at their home. Shikapwasha later succumbed to the gunshot wound.
Testifying before Judge Conceptor Zulu, Daka, now residing in Chelston, stated that she was a member of Jesus is Life Church, where the deceased served as a Bishop. She recounted events leading up to and following the shooting.
Daka said that on January 14, 2024, the family attended church separately in two vehicles. The deceased led the service and later called for a meeting before they all returned home.
That evening, Daka received a call from Vanessa Shikapwasha, one of the couple’s daughters, informing her that her father had been shot and was being rushed to Maina Soko Military Hospital.
She testified that upon returning to the main house, she found the grandchildren and was later informed that the deceased had been taken into surgery.
The next morning, when Lusengo returned home to freshen up, Daka asked her about the incident.
She testified that Lusengo responded, “You know your father and his moods. He told me we would not have dinner until I confessed. After that, I don’t know what happened, I saw him fall on the floor.”
Daka further testified that she discovered handwritten documents titled “Certificate of Divorcement,” which bore the deceased’s name and signature, dated January 13, 2024.
She stated that the late former First Lady Maureen Mwanawasa later entered the room and instructed her to leave, stating it was an active crime scene.
The court adjourned the matter to April 7, 2025, for continuation of the trial.
