Headman Chalwe Kalima of chief Kasomabangweulu’s area in Samfya has committed suicide.
The 78-year old headman, James Chitonge, hanged himself by the neck to a tree behind his house in the early hours of yesterday.
In a suicide note left behind, the deceased said he decided to take his life because he was being accused of killing a relative using witchcraft.
Police rushed to Chalwe Kalima village and collected the body of the deceased that was found still hanging from the tree.
The nephew to the deceased, Brian Musama, said his uncle was a lonely man who had been accused of practicing witchcraft on several occasions.
He said every time a person died in the village the headman was accused of being behind the killing through witchcraft.
Mr Musama said people in the village had rejected the headman to an extent of refusing him from presiding over the traditional affairs of the area.
He said on Tuesday, a relative who had been sick died and the headman was accused of being behind it.
Mr Musama said the headman decided to commit suicide out fear of being lynched through mob justice.
ZANIS/ENDS/IMD/EB
hawu! mina mu utwe mitolo!
Chabipa. Am saddened by this issue becoz the man was headman in the area where I come from. Nambala 1. This time I ve done it. Where are u bloggers? Fast asleep? Wake up!!!
Waloba ilyauma, The Drip, LOL
Thats the problem, we can’t even have senior citizens around now. Strong beliefs are hard to die out, i believe that he was one lonely and innocent village headman persecuted for his age.Here elders in the 80’s or more even ride bicycles around or other stuff and nobody minds them.
RIP old man
Hell No. God could have vindicated you! You had no right to take your own life. Now you end up in HELL.
Oooops,
this Headman Chalwe Kalima jugded himself and decided on the verdict himself… why oh why???
Goodmorning bloggers,
This is a sad story to start the day with. As the Headman, one would expect him to bear such attacks but society can really be cruel sometimes.
#5 Tionge, leave all judgement unto God…even the eternal destiny of the deceased Headman.
The headmen supposed to be reconcilling pipo thats where pipo run to wen they hv differences but these are the pipo commiting suicide honestry where are we going 78? anyway balilila but he shud hv waited for his time and perhaps repent from his witchcraft allegations
Sucide haz neva been the eazy way out of any form of problem. Instead it creates even more serious problemz.
False accusations are not good at all. The false accusations on the man were too many and no one in his village listened to him. How sad it was for him indeed. I can imagine how he felt – a man who did not deserve to live any more. Please people let us learn living in truth and love. There is no need to pour hatred on innocent people . We should discard away all unreasonable beliefs of the past which are but for people who fail to think beyond their egoism. This is what I have observed on this blog as well. False accusations on innocent people. Hatred on innocent people. Know that you will be judged by the allmight God.
Its a shame, may his soul rest in peace.
This staigma will not end. Why do people think every old person has Zaffico? It does not help. Politicians need to be putting messages discouraging this stigma whenever they finish insulting each other at rallies – just as dessert.
Nine Chale, Thenjiwe, Jamaco I am not sure you have listened to Zambian comedy on You Tube. If you have, I have developed a habit of listening to it whenever someone insults me on this blog. Check for 1. Nkungulume, 2. Insala Pa Zambia 3 Bamukukulu 4. Fugitive
we judge too quickly…Let God be the judge
hehehe, shame..he could have just left the village
LT today you are on a sad ………
bringing sad en painfull stories to read
anyway MHSRIP
Nine Chale is that really you in that picture?
I like your smile.
old age requires someone to talk to!RB is lucky ,he’s flying all the time…sata kaya mwe…..kambwili may help him….hahahahahaha…too bad mudala,u shudnt ve taken ur own life created by God…
At least shachepana ko indoshi mumushi
Bushe in which century are these Villages kanshi?
@shani Ba Dr Maureen imwe? Bushe umuntu ngafika 78 ninshi amona ifingi iyini?
Its unfortunate, the thinking of most villagers is that when one is old then he practices withcraft. It has happened to so many elderly one thru out Zambia. In a village set up whenever someone dies its things point at some one being behind. The mind set of villages should change towards elderly pipo. No wonder these days elderly opt to stay in town after retiring coz of fear of selling a village where one could be accused of witchcraft. Most of the confusion is brought about by wichfinders who force elderly one s to drink concotions which cause alot of damage to brains. Others have died in row 2-3 years after taking concotions called katoloshi etc. In most cases pipo who practice witch craft don’t age more than 55yrs as the get eliminated by young ones who came on the scene stronger juju
NIne Chale thats a nice photo,i hope thats you.
About the headman,the guilty is always afraid. Nga balibepaya abena mushi!!!!
Sad story. False accusations lead to suicide I remember a thought like that entered my mind one day. My wife kept on accussing me of being a great womaniser when I was totally innocent but just liked going out for my “MOSI”. So I told myself, if I kill myself that is when she will appreciate me later because she will discover my innocence when it will be too late. Later, I evaluated my position when I looked at my young kids. So please bloggers, I look at suicide as a FOOLISH idea because all human beings go through thin and thick, eg. being fired from work. But God controls everything. There is a divine reason for every happening.
Ba mudala naimwe kukosafye. Taking your life is not the solution, after all you were the H/Man. You should have taken the case to the chief and your subject was going to be summon. By taking the way you did, it means you were guilt for sure.
They say “the guilty is owez afraid”.obviously the man was practicing witchcraft otherwise y would he kill himself.
Nine Chale,nice photo.is that really you?
# 16 and 23, whats nice abt Nine chale naimwe? THE JACKSON FIVE? Sorry mwee!
#23 I confirm that that is my brother Nine Chale!!
The Guilty are Afraid & they hang themselves!!! Bravo Headman Chalwe Kalima for the self elimination, how I wish some people I will not mention but are in leadership could take a leaf from you
Ignorance is bad. I know of some HIV patients who accused a relative of bewitching them. It caused serious rifts in the extended family.
he proved it hiself. he is a fwiiti. how can you take your own life when god gave it to you. he would have let god take him. so shameful
Jamaco,ur bro is nice. i j cole,its gud u added sorry pantu ngawatasha.
The headman suffered from ‘Depression’, popping a few antidepressants could have mitigated the situation, well probably. Its even possible no one accused him but he could have been so paranoid that he thought they did.
Kwandangala, nshachishiba ati kuli abemine pamaliki. Ulu ulwabungungulume, bloggers dont sleep. Lyonse nipa internet. Learn to sleep pipo even when mama talipo. Kukosa fye. Am still mourning my headman. You guys can even send your condoles…..fimofimo to me.
It is bad that senior citizens who r supposed to instil confidence in the youths are the ones lacking solutions. Shame on this gone village headman.
Too much witchcraft in Luapula Province, hey! wake up people.
Juju……
There should be policies to protect the elders ,now that they are working on the constitution closely .Its shameful a senoir citizen die in this manner, it is a brain drain of a wisdom figures,it is a reason they chose him to be a headman ,he had pontential.
let us not Judge whether he is in hell or what ,but the accusers themselves must be guilty.
Let us protect and respect the wisdom figures and the eledrly in our Zambian society.
Kuyatushafye kufyamuchalo, rest in peace
Okay now he has died do u stil think he was killing pipo honestly..if u r part of those pipo who made him kill himself it will hunt u for the rest of your life..its not easy to be isolated from pipo and being lonely…CHANGE FOR THE BETTER.