By MUSONDA MANGILASHI and STEVEN ZANDE –
POLICE in Chinsali, Muchinga Province, have arrested a 27-year-old man, suspected to be
mentally unstable, for axing his 70-year-old father to death after being advised to stop his heavy drinking.
Muchinga Province Commissioner of Police Godwin Phiri said that Barnabas Mulenga of Kabuta village in Chief Nkula’s area was killed by his son, Evans Mulenga, on Thursday.
He said the deceased sustained three deep cuts to the neck and one in the back.
“The suspect, who is believed to be a mental patient, was being advised not to drink beer in excess by the relatives and this got him annoyed and he killed his father. The axe used has since been recovered,” Mr Phiri said.
In another incident, a 61-year-old Nakonde man has been murdered by unknown people, and it is alleged that some internal organs were missing from his stomach.
Mr Phiri identified the deceased as Christopher Simfukwe of Ntolondo Village of Chief Nawaitwika.
He said the incident, which occurred on Thursday around 12:00 hours, happened as Simfukwe was returning from his maize field.
“We received a report by the deceased’s sister that her brother was murdered. The circumstances are that he was coming from his maize field when unknown people attacked him using an unknown instrument.
“He sustained a deep cut on the right side of the chest, and it is further allegedly reported that some internal body organs are missing from the stomach of the body of the deceased,” Mr Phiri said.
In Lusaka police have arrested a 29-year-old woman of Old Kanyama township for allegedly setting alight her 12-year-old daughter using kerosene.
In undisclosed circumstances, the woman, identified as Prudence Phiri of an unmarked house number, is said to have burned her daughter on Thursday around 17:00 hours.
The child sustained multiple burns on the body and was rushed to Kanyama Hospital for medical attention while Ms Phiri was seized by members of the public who surrendered her to the police.
This is contained in a statement issued yesterday by Police spokesperson Esther Katongo.