By SYLVESTER MWALE –

A RETIRED colonel and practising lawyer of Lusaka has allegedly shot dead his wife during her birthday party and is believed to have been severely beaten up by one of his enraged children after seeing the mother in a pool of blood.
Col Paul Banda, who is a practising lawyer and owner of the law firm Paul Pandala Banda and Company, based in Rhodes Park area of Lusaka, is currently admitted to the University Teaching Hospital in Lusaka, where his condition is said to be unstable.
“He is currently admitted to  UTH and his condition is currently unstable,” UTH public relations officer Natalie Mashikolo said.
Col Banda allegedly shot dead his wife, Vivian, in the couple’s bedroom around midnight on Tuesday.
Lusaka Province Police Chief Charity Katanga said police had not yet established the reasons for the shooting and no arrest had been made so far.
Ms Katanga said Col Banda’s daughter Shilivwe reported the matter to the police soon after midnight while some family members started beating up the former soldier.
“As far as we are concerned, we are not aware that he is in the hospital because we have not received the report to that effect, so we are treating it that he is on the run,” Ms Katanga said.
She said it was also not clear whether the firearm used was licenced or not because it had not yet been retrieved by the police.
The couple is said to have been dedicated Catholic Christians who had been congregating at St Ignatius Parish.
Family sources told the Times yesterday that Col Banda and his wife were celebrating her birthday, together with their children and grandchildren.
“After the party, around midnight, the couple went to their bedroom with one of the grandchildren, while the rest of the family remained in the living room.
“But shortly after they had left, there was a gunshot and when the children went to check, they found their mother in a pool of blood and the eldest son was so annoyed that he beat his dad with everything near him,” the sources said.
Col Banda worked for the Zambia Air Force (ZAF) before he retired to open a law firm.