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Yo Maps Testifies Against Blogger in Lusaka Court Over Online Threats to Family

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Musician Elton Mulenga, popularly known as Yo Maps, testified in the Lusaka Magistrates’ Court on Monday, dismissing allegations that his wife, Kidist Kifle, had a past relationship with Facebook blogger Elias Musyani.

He described the claim as untrue and baseless.

The testimony was part of an ongoing trial in which Musyani is charged under Zambia’s Cyber Security and Cyber Crimes Act No. 2 of 2021.

Musyani is accused of threatening to harm Kifle and the couple’s three-year-old daughter through social media posts, which included threats of rape and abduction. He has pleaded not guilty.

During his testimony, Yo Maps revealed that his family endured significant distress due to the online threats.

He stated, “As a father and husband, I was affected. I had to stop my child from going to school because we didn’t know what would happen.”

Mulenga accused Musyani of making derogatory remarks about his wife and child, including referring to his daughter as “gumu gumu” (monitor lizard) and spreading malicious claims on social media.

Mulenga testified that Musyani posted about knowing his wife’s whereabouts, including her gym routine and address, which heightened concerns for their safety.

Despite efforts to resolve the matter privately, Mulenga said Musyani continued to post defamatory content, calling Kifle derogatory names such as “evil stepmother” and “she-devil,” and alleging she abused her husband.

Under cross-examination, Mulenga admitted that Musyani and his wife had communicated in the past but denied any personal relationship between them.

He also acknowledged that Kifle had gone out drinking with friends while he was in Malawi on April 8, 2024.

A video of that outing, which reportedly went viral, became a point of contention in court.

When asked why the video had not been submitted as evidence, Mulenga admitted it had not been presented.

The defense questioned whether Mulenga had verified the authenticity of Musyani’s Facebook posts, suggesting the account may have been hacked. Mulenga dismissed the possibility, asserting that Musyani had personally called him and referred to his child using derogatory language.

Mulenga testified that the threats and online harassment had caused him emotional stress but admitted he had not lost any business opportunities as a result.

He also disclosed that he reported the threats to the police on April 17, 2024, the day after a phone conversation with Musyani, and subsequently saw an apology from the blogger during an interview on the Zed Podcast.

The trial, presided over by Magistrate Mutinta Mwenya, has been adjourned to February 12, 2025, for the continuation of proceedings, with three more witnesses expected to testify.

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