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Lusaka grisly murders of young women continue

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File:Night revelers take to the stage at a night club in Lusaka

THE spate of grisly murders of young women in Lusaka have continued with the latest being that of a 23-year-old of Woodlands who is suspected to have been raped before being killed.Mazuba Kapembwa’s body was picked up in the morning of yesterday under a row of bushes near a named night club on Chilumbulu Road.This brings to three number of women gruesomely murdered in the capital city in a space of three weeks.

Police say, Mazuba, a mother of three of house number 22, Cedar Road in Woodlands, is believed to have been raped before being killed because the zipper on her trousers was found open.Zambia Police Service deputy public relations officer, Charity Chanda and Josephine Mweemba, mother of the deceased, confirmed the murder of Mazuba.Her body was picked up yesterday around 11:00 hours under the hedge on Chilumbulu Road,Ms Chanda said.Ms Chanda said Mazuba’s body had no injuries.

Mazuba is believed to have gone out with an unidentified friend on Monday night using an unidentified minibus.Mazuba’s body is in the University Teaching Hospital (UTH) mortuary awaiting post-mortem.And speaking in an interview yesterday, Mazuba’s mother, a widow, said a female friend of her late daughter went to their house around 16:00 hours on Monday and together with Mazuba’s children, they went to some nearby shops.Ms Mweemba said Mazuba returned home around 19:00 hours and informed her that she had friends outside and that they would be going out.She left the youngest child who is about one year old and said she had friends and they wanted to go to the shops.My last words were that, don’t go. These days, people kill, She said she would go and come back, the grief stricken mother said at the family home in Woodlands.She said around 10:00 hours yesterday, she received a call from a congregant at Woodlands Seventh Day Adventist (SDA) that someone had identified the body of her daughter in Chilenje.Ms Mweemba said she immediately went to Chilenje but was told that the body had been taken to UTH.Ms Mweemba said she found Mazuba’s body wrapped in chitenge material at the Brought in Dead (BID) section at UTH.She said her body was intact though her wig had a lot of grass on it.The shoes and handbag have been recovered but her phone is missing, she said.Ms Mweemba said while at the mortuary, she also met Mazuba’s boyfriend.Ms Mweemba said Mazuba’s boyfriend was the father to the youngest child who is one-year and three months old.

On July 13, this year, Ruth Mbandu, a 19-year-old student at the National Institute of Public Administration (NIPA) was grisly killed in an incident widely suspected to be a ritual murder.Ruths disfigured body was found in the early hours of Saturday on July 14, in Emmasdale residential area, a few metres away from her mother’s house with her facial skin and eyes removed.

On July, 28 another woman, Sharon Tembo, aged 27 was murdered in Matero Township as she was returning home from her hair salon around 22:00 hours.

Meanwhile, one person died while 14 others sustained serious injuries when a motor vehicle they were travelling in overturned on Mukonchi Road, two kilometres north of Kizito Primary School in Kabwe.The accident happened when the driver of a Canter light truck, registration number, ACL 6365, Osten Ntomba, 30, of Munkonchi Kanyemu area lost control due to suspected excessive speeding.The deceased has been identified as Bupe Muwowo, 37, also of Mukonchi area who died on the way to the hospital while the 14 injured passengers were admitted to Kabwe General Hospital.Ms Chanda said the driver of the vehicle was charged with causing death by dangerous driving.

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#1 Comment By Dojo do On August 8, 2012 @ 11:01 am

Cry my beloved Zambia…be safe and pray…ZP be blessed as you sort out these murders…RIP

#2 Comment By taliban On August 8, 2012 @ 11:08 am

these gals should learn from their friends..why go out at night..?

#3 Comment By Champ On August 8, 2012 @ 12:10 pm

Why go out at night? Because that’s what people do in a safe and civilized society! 

Or by your username (taliban) would you prefer all women to wear burkas? If so, please go back to the tribal areas of Pakistan and leave Zambia alone. Yours is a useless comment!

#4 Comment By Destroyer On August 8, 2012 @ 2:34 pm

Ah, this guy is a Taliban zoona. People shouldn’t go at night? She was 23! That’s a grownarse woman.

#5 Comment By Chipuba Chenu mweka ba Kaseba! On August 8, 2012 @ 3:59 pm

Why should women not go out at night? If anybody should stay in it is men as they are usually the perpetrators of this kind of violence.

#6 Comment By Ugly Truth On August 8, 2012 @ 11:09 am

Hmmmmmmm……………..WTF is happening in Zambia,is the Puppet Front involved? How come no concrete arrests are being made! its so sad that people have to leave with fear in the community when Nothern breadwinner promised to take care of the men in uniform during the campaigns.

#7 Comment By Masuzyo On August 8, 2012 @ 11:25 am

three children different fathers means immorality and having multiple boy friends. That is a good reward for such death

#8 Comment By Reader On August 8, 2012 @ 11:06 pm

E.s.t.u.p.i.do.

#9 Comment By xdfghjk On August 10, 2012 @ 8:42 am

becareful what you say, you could be one of Zambia’s bastards who doesn’t know it.. ask noko first!
in UAE people start going out at night because its too hot during the day.. no one gets killed..
you are just a bunch of blood thirsty apes, with no respect for human life.

these killings are orders from witchdoctors to bring fresh bodyparts for ‘rituals’ all because of nigerian voodoo films

#10 Comment By nawa On December 26, 2012 @ 1:56 am

What right do you have to judge someone. Shame on you good for nothing *****s someone’s lost a life they did not deserve to die.They’s a mother grieving for her daughter out there.

#11 Comment By Shufuni On August 8, 2012 @ 11:31 am

She has to go out at night. She has kids, careless boy friend fathers. She has to brave the risk of escorting cash clients…

#12 Comment By chamba On August 8, 2012 @ 11:32 am

WE WANT TO HANG THE ALL THOSE INVOLVED.
HERE COMES THE DEATH PENALTY IN OUR CONSTITUTION

#13 Comment By dido On August 8, 2012 @ 11:32 am

what do you expect when you always want to be a receiver!!! shame why leave 3 kids with you mother and go have fun to yourself? shame. Thats a good panishment. Dont leave your kids carelessly

#14 Comment By Reader On August 8, 2012 @ 11:02 pm

Your comment is i.d.i.o.tic.The other woman who was murdered was coming from her hair salon,from work.We are talking about the safety of people here, and society, and not the reason why somebody went out at night.

#15 Comment By namzy On August 9, 2012 @ 8:01 pm

With all these comments, I feel ashamed to be Zambian! Nothing justifies the killing of another human being! Mulifikopo sana! When did going out become a crime? 

#16 Comment By Zomela On August 8, 2012 @ 11:39 am

The Mukonchi road accident, isn’t it on the same road where commandos were burnt to ushes a week ago? What is happening in Zambia, if it is sucrifice for winning elections please spare us, enough blood has been spilt.

#17 Comment By Voice of Reason On August 8, 2012 @ 11:40 am

Very sad. Either the reporting is very poor or the Police are hopeless – surely the suspicion of rape is being based on the Zip of the deceased trouser being open and I quote “Police say, Mazuba, a mother of three of house number 22, Cedar Road in Woodlands, is believed to have been raped before being killed because the zipper on her trousers was found open”. Leaves a lot to be desired – Why did they remove Inspector General Martin Malama? Without him the rot that was in the Police force has once again become a given and both cops and thieves alike go about with their corrupt business and thieving with no fear. Bring back Malama

#18 Comment By chichi On August 10, 2012 @ 2:08 am

my thoughts exactly!!!:o do they not have any forensic experts back home and if they dont , why risk sounding so ignorant by adding that statement!smh !

#19 Comment By Yambayamba On August 8, 2012 @ 11:41 am

@4, Masuzyo:
What a s.tupi.d coment!

I hope next to be murdered will be your sister/niece (the virgin) or your brother/uncle (the impregnator)!!

#20 Comment By mpinganjira Zeb On August 8, 2012 @ 11:41 am

It is not logical to state that the solution to the probelm is our women or girls as you call them stop moving at night. While that sounds a morally correct thing to suggest, it implies robbing people of their freedom of movement, we can not say any girl moving at night deserves to be killed in cold blood. The police should just expedite their investigations in these cases and quickly nail the culprit. We could be dealing with a serial killer and no one has even suspected that, are there any simmillarities in the profiles of the girls killed??? Lets not blame the victims, it is punishing the murderers and making our streets safe for everyone including the girls, once again!!!

#21 Comment By The 3ye On August 8, 2012 @ 11:58 am

I remember you when you were soooo young, RIP Mazuba

#22 Comment By Champ On August 8, 2012 @ 12:16 pm

Truly disgusting to see people blame the victim for “going out at night” – in a civilized society, anyone should be safe to move whenever they want!

#23 Comment By Babylon 1 On August 8, 2012 @ 12:18 pm

Going out with married people is deadly…some of these deaths could be linked to the same (Immorality)

#24 Comment By zendon On August 8, 2012 @ 12:20 pm

WTF is happening to our country? RIP.

#25 Comment By Truth hates On August 8, 2012 @ 12:42 pm

Sad news indeed. Can the authorities that be do something on this?? Who are these people killing young girls?

#26 Comment By tapichiko06 On August 8, 2012 @ 12:44 pm

This is not the first time that women are being killed in Zambia.Those who are old enough will remember the Lusaka strangler who killed more than twenty women in early 1980s. The main victims were women who stay in the streets late at night but also in some cases some unfortunate travelers who had arrived late at night at the bus station.That time Mrs Chibesa Kankansa was a government minister and she would go out into the streets at night telling young women to leave the streets because of the danger posed by the strangler. May I call upon the women’s movement to do the same given the fact that most of the time it is the women who walk alone at night who are killed.Please let us educate the young ones on the dangers out there instead of trying to sensationalize the issue.

#27 Comment By Catacomb On August 8, 2012 @ 12:52 pm

But honestly leaving a one year old child and going out late in the night is irresponsible. Sorry for the loss of life but certain things ca be avoided with just a little caution and responsible behaviour. to have 3 kids at 23 with different fathers and still being kept by parents also speaks volumes of the kind of life our dear departed sister was living. Nevertheless, i pity for the family esp the kids and hope the puzzle will be solved by ZP. But the statement from police to suspect rape on account of an open zip is misplaced coz that should not be a problem to determine.

#28 Comment By Kopala On August 8, 2012 @ 12:59 pm

Ladies and gentlement let as advise our sisters to walk in numbers at night if they cant avoid it. I for one would prefer them to stay at home go to school or even look after their young kids and make a decent future for them. Even men are also being mudred in numbers. Even men are not safe.

#29 Comment By kagelo On August 8, 2012 @ 1:04 pm

:( wat a sad thing. wat is hapening pa zed? lsk en kabwe hv becum very deadly

#30 Comment By Ingrid On August 8, 2012 @ 1:25 pm

There’s a serial killer on the loose! Lets call in scotland yard, our police depend on toruring whoever they catch first. Women lets have a day to demonstrate against this, we should be free to move around in our own country.

#31 Comment By Mashlarro On August 8, 2012 @ 1:29 pm

#17 you remind me of that strangler. Thisis why we. Should retain the death sentence in Zambia. These killers should be hanged when caught. Sad forthe loss of life. 

#32 Comment By Peaceful Zambia On August 8, 2012 @ 1:44 pm

DNA – The govt. should have a national data base with all citizen’s personal details including DNA and finger prints, this will make it difficult for people to commit crime and easy to catch law breakers. The constitution is still open for additions, let’s push for it. Only potential criminals/offenders can be against such a law. All foreigners entering Zambia will be required to give their DNA samples at boarder posts.

#33 Comment By Lucheche Mbulu On August 8, 2012 @ 2:08 pm

The Lusaka strangler of the 80s survived so long and killed so many because unfortunately he preyed on tribalism. He was a Lozi Lance Corporal Sipalo. He preyed on Lozi ladies, using the language to lure them into a sense of false security taking them to secluded areas for Sex and stranging them after wards. Then, came the borehole Murders of the 90s. Here murderers would just wait in the bushes in Chalala area. revellers would drink from Chilenje’s Insaka and Antym pubs, take married women in their cars into the Chalala bushes for Sex in the car and what used to give them away were the car lights. A car would drive slowly looking for a spot to have a good time, and when the lights switched off the killers would approach it and find couples in the Act and murder them.

#34 Comment By kwindi kodjo On August 8, 2012 @ 2:17 pm

This looks like the work of a serial killer. There is quite good reason to believe the murders are linked

#35 Comment By Kanyengambeta On August 8, 2012 @ 2:40 pm

#24 and then came Chilala in 1996/97 who murdered several loners old and young. In farms where old couples and farm workers leaved. Guards that were manning anteanas in Kabwe were lure to a fake sharing of animal meat and killed one after the other after cheating them the blood on the axe was from the cow he had slaughtered from a nearby muzungu farm. He burried them in shallow graves but it took police months to establish that. Several others were victims around around Lusaka. It took charcoal burners to corner him and overpower him in Shantumbu area of Lusaka. He has been in Mukobeko max. prison awaiting to be hanged. No president has signed for execution of criminals except the first one.

#36 Comment By THE ONLY LIVING JAY On August 8, 2012 @ 2:42 pm

Very sad predicament to say the least. Not a good thing to talk ill of the dead or indeed ask any questionz since they will never defend themselvez. But three children at 23 iz on the hyper side….

#37 Comment By THE REPORTER On August 8, 2012 @ 2:54 pm

GOD BE WITH US IS MY PRAYER.MAY THE ONES INVOLVED BROUGHT TO JUSTICE

#38 Comment By Umupondo On August 8, 2012 @ 3:58 pm

R.I.P. girl. But reporting ya pa zed ati…’is believed to have been raped before being killed because the zipper on her trousers was found open’… So just because the victims’ zipper is open, this suggests she was raped? Come one. Zambia needs to move with current times. The reporting is poor, the police investigation is mediocre at best. There’s DNA/Forensics and all. Why make assumptions based on the little or no evidence. And we wonder why, most cases go unsolved in Zambia. If this girl was raped, there’s got to be some DNA left by the suspect(s) on the victim. If the cell phone is missing, they (police) can and should work with the cell phone provider to get the GSP location of the device or atleast get the last few numbers called from or recieved by the victims’ cell phone.

#39 Comment By Muntukupema On August 8, 2012 @ 3:59 pm

We need security in Zambia.
Let’s redeploy some police manpower from spending so much time doing traffic duty and get them to patrol our communities. Deaths like these can be prevented.

#40 Comment By Yazanda On August 8, 2012 @ 4:40 pm

To all of you who are holier than thou, going out and leaving the kids does not warrant any kind of punishment or death, otherwise the whole country would be dead! How many people – mothers/ fathers/ guardians etc go out leaving kids at home? How many people have different mothers/ fathers for their children? Just comment reasonably p/s. No action whatsoever can be and should be taken as a passport to allow murderers to rule the land. So can you all leave this nonsense of three kids to different fathers, going out, etc out of this and just fight for protection of all people and justice to be brought to all those who think they have the right to take anyone’s life for whatever reason.   

#41 Comment By MundiaM On August 8, 2012 @ 4:54 pm

This really sad! I concur with Muntukupema that we need more forensic investiogators and homicide police officers than traffic police officers. These homicides need to be resolved effectively and efficiently to create a sense of security in the community. MHSRIP!

#42 Comment By Nubian Princess On August 8, 2012 @ 5:10 pm

She may also have died from natural causes;

Three children at age 23
Night life and alcohol
Se.x in the bushes

#43 Comment By james On August 9, 2012 @ 3:53 pm

She also had a drug problem and charged for her services. I feel sorry for the children RIP Mazuba.

#44 Comment By Oranje91 On August 8, 2012 @ 5:45 pm

Interesting to see people throwing stones. I guess no one lives in glass houses anymore.

#45 Comment By Umupondo On August 8, 2012 @ 7:33 pm

#33, Nubian Princess, you funny ati Se.x in the bushes…natural causes in actually plausible here…given the “cuircumstances”.

#46 Comment By Nasoba On August 8, 2012 @ 7:33 pm

@Nubian Princess, very good point. Its a very sad development thought. @ Masuzyo no one deserves to die like that, even if the person was promiscious….. no one is perfect. Its disturbing that pipo like u can even say such a horrible thing.

#47 Comment By akulu mphuno On August 8, 2012 @ 11:29 pm

At 23 years old the girl has 3 kids , at what age did she start kunyengewa? Too bad pa zambia too much uchende, now because of minimum wage thing even mahule are expensive so men will resort to raping

#48 Comment By Champ On August 9, 2012 @ 3:25 am

@ Nubian, so next time you’re dragged into the bushes and raped we’ll just blame “natural causes”. OK?

#49 Comment By SADIKI On August 9, 2012 @ 10:00 am

SORRY TO THE BEREAVED FAMILY

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#51 Comment By tiama On February 8, 2013 @ 9:22 am

Its so sad that ladies wil b afraid ov going out 4 any reason… M saddened with tha fact that there serial killers on the loose in Zambia… Condolences 2da families involved.. M. H. S. R. I. P