By CHILA NAMAIKO –
A THIRTY SEVEN-year-old man of Mazabuka District in Southern Province has been hacked to death by his cousin after a dispute over a piece of land.
This comes barely a few weeks after two brothers of Kalomo also beat up a villager of the same area following a dispute over land.
Haninga Kalapa of Munyati Village allegedly beat his cousin, Chiboyi Hangoma, 37, of Chibombo Village in Chief Mwanachingwala’a area.
Kalapa allegedly used a machete to strike Mr Hangoma who sustained a deep cut on the left side of his chest and back.
Southern Province assistant Police Commissioner Kashif Mphande said the incident happened on Sunday around 21:00 hours.
“We received a report in which Timothy Hangoma of Chibombo Village in Chief Mwanachingwala’s area in Mazabuka reported that his son, Chiboyi Hangoma was murdered by his cousin Haninga Kalapa over a land dispute,” he said.
Police rushed to the scene and picked the body which was currently lying in the Mazabuka District Hospital mortuary awaiting post-mortem.
Mr Mphande said that Kalapa, who was on the run following the incident, later handed himself to police and was arrested.
He said police was concerned with rising cases of people killing each other over land and has called for concrete dialogue over such matters.
“As police, we are appealing to members of the public to always use dialogue when resolving land disputes,” Mr Mphande said.
People should not always resort to killing each other when they could settle pressing issues such as land disputes through relevant institutions like the courts of law.
In Kalomo, the two brothers, Reuben and Cenisios Siamakwamba of Siamanyana Village in Chief Siachitema’s area allegedly used unknown objects to inflict injuries on Current Mukonka and were charged with murder.
The two brothers and Mr Mukonka entangled in a land dispute in the same village and allegedly fought on the fateful day with the latter suffering severe beatings on his head.
Mr Mukonka, who sustained multiple severe head injuries, became unconscious and was rushed to Kalomo Hospital where he later died.
