Police in Siavonga have opened a docket against Chief Simamba of Siavonga District on allegations that he allegedly assaulted his 34 year old female subject.
Sources at Siavonga police station confirmed to ZANIS in an interview that they have recorded a statement from the woman who is alleged to have been physically assaulted by the traditional leader.
The named victim, a resident of Kanyelele compound on Friday filed in an official complaint against the chief at the police station.
She told ZANIS in an interview that she decided to report the matter to the police because the traditional leader had inflicted pain on her body.
She narrated that on Thursday last week, chief Simamba ordered his retainers to apprehend her when she went to buy charcoal from villagers in the chiefdom.
“I was arrested by the chief’s retainers last week on Thursday after I was found buying charcoal from some villagers in the chiefdom,” she narrated.
The victim disclosed that upon being handcuffed and dragged to the chief’s palace by the retainers, the chiefs ordered that her hands be tied around a tree.
She added that after tying her hands, the chief pulled out a shambok which he used to cane her buttocks.
“I was canned several times on the buttocks by the chief after my hands were tied around the tree, “narrated the woman.
The victim further added that canning the woman, the chief further ordered that she was left on the scotching sun carrying her child on the back and was left to stay there from 14 to 18 hours.
She revealed that the chief could not compromise despite explaining to him that she had bought a permit from the department of forestry authorizing her to purchase charcoal.
“I tried to reason with the chief telling him that I had bought a permit from the forestry worth K 108, 000 but he could not listen and just went ahead canning me, “ she said.
The victim confirmed that she was not the first one to receive such kind of treatment from the traditional leader saying several people that are dealing in charcoal business have suffered at the hands of the chief.
And a medical report signed by a Doctor Bulungu from Siavonga District Hospital which was availed to ZANIS indicated that the 34 year old had suffered swollen buttocks and painful left arm.
Police have indicated that investigations into the matter are currently going on and that the chief is likely to appear in court soon.
But when contacted on phone over the allegation, Chief Simamba promised to get back to this reporter but failed to do so by press time.
[ZANIS]
No one is above the law in Zambia, but because our current rep. president will allow that to happen nothing will make the chief to be in court or prison
Another disgraced Chief, it seems everything from politics,culture social balances have lost touch and meanings.wot else are we yet to witness in this generation God help us.
He is not fit to be chief and needs to be incarcerated for assault and inhuman and degrading treatment of another person.
This chief is not above the law and hence the law should be allowed to take its course.
He’s an animal, he ought to be locked up and stripped of his title. I can imagine that poor baby crying for hours while on its mothers back.
Ba LT naimwe your headline is a bit unfetching, ZWD tells it better.
Interesting, when you honk a motor vehicle horn you are are arrested, but when you cane a citizen and assault her, the police will investigate you while you are at home, caning more people?
Ba LT did u have censor Zed-Malonda-Dog?
Indeed, no one is aboe the law, except Kafupi Frederick Titus Jacob Chiluba.
What happened to the days when traditional rulers were respected? Maybe I was just young and naive then.
Why would you cane a grown woman. Why would you cane anyone not related to you. She should file for damages while suing the state. Since the house of Cheifs is a goverment wing she should be compensated. How arrogant and unwise can people get, man handling a woman. Ni bamuna ba bwanji aba na nsoni balibe.
HAIL THE CHIEF…some people cannot learn by using soft methods on hard ones. How long are these people going to be told to preserve the forest?
Bwana chief Simamba you are a useless man, how can you can someone’s wife, do you have all the powers to do that , let the law visit this foolish chief. Someone shows you the govt papers from the forest dept that she has the pemitt, but you do not listen, please teach that dog a lession, no one is above the law in Zanbia, foolish chief Simamba.
Let’s have our chiefs educated as regards legal matters. Those with legal knowledge pertaining to logging for charcoal, what charge if any is the chief likely to get for protecting the forests?