By HELLEN TEMBO and CHUSA SICHONE –
RESIDENTS of Chilanga are living in fear following the brutal murder of a secondary school girl reported missing last week and that of a female college student.
The bodies of a 16 year old Cecilia Mulekwa and Annie Musonda aged 22 were found with deep wounds to the head and hands in the cultivated maize field not far from their homes.
The residents have appealed to Government to construct police posts as well as deploy more officers to patrol the area at night.
Some pupils from City of Hope Secondary School where Mulekwa was doing her grade 11, who sought anonymity, said they were afraid of attending classes knowing the killer was on the loose.
They said their lives were not safe because the suspected killer was on the run and have appealed to the police to arrest the killer as soon as possible before he or she could strike again. The pupils said this in an interview in Makeni yesterday that the death of the duo left them in shock.
Meanwhile, City of Hope sister in charge Prisca Mwewa described Mulekwa as a hardworking, disciplined and determined to become a medical doctor.
Sister Mwewa said the pupils and staff were still in shock by the untimely death of such a young life full of hope.
Mulekwa’s uncle Thulani Nkomo challenged police officers to be swift when dealing with matters that involve life.
Mr Nkomo said police officers have a duty and responsibility to protect and provide security to citizens. Makeni Islamic Society Trust director of education Kapusu Masoud said Musonda was a second year student in business studies who was hardworking.
Mr Masoud said Musonda attended classes on Friday last week and knocked off together with other students.
He said on Monday this week the lecturers did the normal routine checks and discovered that she was among the students who had not reported for class and the school thought she had transport challenges or was sick. Mr Masoud said later that day the school received a call from Musonda’s uncle informing the school that his niece did not return home on Friday the previous week and that he had reported the matter to the police.
He said after interviewing Musonda’s friends, they revealed that they last saw her at Makeni Pick n’ Pay on Friday afternoon.
Meanwhile, the Government is saddened by the killings in Chilanga District and has vowed that it will not rest until the perpetrator faces the full wrath of the law. Home Affairs minister Stepehen Kampyongo has to that effect directed Inspector General of Police Kakoma Kanganja to mobilise his officers and scale up patrols.
In an intervew, Mr Kampyongo appealed to the public to be security conscious and report suspicious looking individuals to relevant law enforcement agencies.
Mr Kampyongo warned that the Government would ensure that the law caught up with the perpetrators and that they would be dealt with decisively.