By MOFFAT CHAZINGWA – 

A DEPUTY Head teacher in Kitwe has been brutally murdered and her husband seriously wounded by two of their biological children in a bizarre incident. 

The brutal murder is believed to have been sparked by the children’s desire to grab their parent’s wealth.

In what seemed to be a calculated execution, the two assailants fiercely descended on their parents with knives and iron bars, killing the mother instantly.

The father managed to flee after being stabbed in the neck with a knife. Police identified the mother as Ethel Gondwe, a deputy head teacher at Ishuko Primary School in Chimwemwe Township.

Her, husband, Emmanuel Katongo, also a teacher at Mopani Copper Mines’ Nkana Trust School was rushed to Wusakile Mine Hospital where he was admitted to the intensive care unit.

Police spokesperson Charity Chanda and family members confirmed the incident, which happened in the early hours of Saturday in Mukuba-Natwange at house number MN 33.

Upon killing their mother, the assailants bundled the body in a car and drove to Chichele forest on the Kitwe-Ndola dual carriageway where they dumped it.

Ms Chanda said the two sons, Emmanuel Katongo Junior, 21, and his 18-year-old brother had since been apprehended and detained in connection with the killing of Ms Gondwe and also the unlawful wounding of Mr Katongo.

“I confirm that we have apprehended two boys who are currently in custody in connection with the death of the mother and unlawful wounding of their father,” Ms Chanda said.

When queried, the two said they dumped the body of their mother in the Chichele plantation on the Kitwe-Ndola dual carriageway.

The body had since been retrieved from the plantation.

Phillip Tembo, uncle of the wounded man said in an interview that the two sons during interrogation by police yesterday confessed that they had planned to murder both of their parents so that they could have access to the benefits.

“It seems the mother had told the younger boy that she was about to retire and he in turn told his elder brother about that and it is from that they embarked on a mission to murder their parents,” he said.

A Times of Zambia reporter visited the residence and found blood stains in the living room up to the corridor and extending to the car park.

Two blood-stained knives were also found in the yard.

Police sources said on the material day, the two brothers upon returning from a drinking spree quarreled with their parents over the two vehicles they owned.

They said emanating from that, the sons picked up knives and stabbed their father in the neck.

They later picked an iron bar and followed their mother in the kitchen where they hit her on the head and she died.

“The father in the living room managed to get up and that is how he fled but meanwhile, the two sons went ahead and bundled the body of their mother in a vehicle and managed to drive away,” the sources said.

They said it was while they were returning that the two were intercepted at a police check-point near a Farm House on the Kitwe-Ndola dual carriageway by an officer who saw blood stains in the vehicle.

Meanwhile Silvia Mweetwa reports that a 45-year-old Kapiri-Mposhi man was in the early morning of Saturday beaten to death after he was allegedly found in bed with a married woman.

Central Province deputy Commissioner of police, Edwin Bwanga said the deceased, Misheck Mwansa was found in the act by the woman’s husband.

Mr Bwanga said the incident happened around 06:00 hours at Juda village in Chief Chipepo’s area and that a stick was reportedly used in the beating.

He said police had since picked up the woman’s husband identified as Rabison Sakala aged 34 to assist with investigations.