A baby from Sesheke’s Njoko Kachola area was last week accidentally hacked to death by the grandfather who is believed to be blind.
The baby aged one year six months was axed in the head on Wednesday around 17:00 hours by her grandfather who was chopping firewood.
Police assistant spokesperson Esther Katongo confirmed the death of the baby in Lusaka yesterday in a statement.
Ms Katongo said the mother of the baby left it under the care of two girls who later took advantage of the presence of the grandfather and concentrated on playing.
“The baby later crawled to where the grandfather was cutting a piece of fire wood and was hacked in the head with an axe sustaining a deep cut and died,” she said.
The grandfather was named as Fanwell Kamamba Sabwendo 49, of Mwiinga Village, Chief Imalende in Sesheke District.
Sabwendo was now in police custody charged with murder while the body of the toddler was in Yeta District Hospital mortuary.
In another development, police have picked up Frankson Mtonga 22, of Mandevu Township for allegedly murdering his elder brother Shadreck Mtonga after a drinking spree.
The murder happened on Saturday around 22: 30 hours in Mandevu.
“The suspect who was coming from a drinking spree is alleged to have pushed the deceased to the ground and later hit him with a pan brick in the head after he delayed in opening the door for him,” Ms Katongo said.
The victim sustained serious injuries and died on the way to the University Teaching Hospital (UTH) while the suspect was detained in police custody facing a charge of murder contrary to the laws of Zambia.
[Times of Zambia]
Grandfather charged with murder when it was purely an accident??????
Charged with murder my foot! Zambia is full of dull people! No wonder the country looks like a worst dump complete with a clown as president!
too bad for the blind man
I thought we now had a “THINKING POLICE FORCE”, what with the degree holders at the helm the story explains itself to be such a tragedy – yet they hold this unfortunate man & charge him with murder – does any one in this force understand what murder is??? That’s why there is a saying, “You can take a people out of the bush, but not take the bush out of them!!”
muppets,thats what they are, they need interlectuals like you in the diasopra,go back and do a good job,i think you can do a better job,
#1 our, president has nothing to do with this why are you insulting him? the bible says’respect your leader.’ you need to repent. your bitterness and hatred towards other tribes will kill you because Zambians have alread voted and will continue votting PF for more years come. may God deliver you.
Point of correction! #1 did not insult,the one who insulted is #2.An apology needed!
How can a blind man be charged with murder,,he didn’t see the infant,,shudnt it be involuntary manslaughter
For God’s sake the man is blind so why arresting him and charging him with murder. We have crooks such as Liato, William Tekere Banda, James Banda, etc roaming the streets and yet this innocent blind man is put behind bars.
This story irritated me more that is sadenned methe moment they read it on news. By your own admission you are saying the man is believed to be blind. In the first place, he is only believed to be blind or this is a medical fact that police can quickly check and just be telling us that the man is blind as a fact and not a belief. Now, if the man is blind and he hacked his own grand child accidentaly, do you know what anguish he is going through and you incarceratting him makes it worse. How do you apply the law so mechanically that you can use your discretion, you have made this tragedy worse for the family, RELEASE THE MAN,FOR GOODNESS SAKE!!
Livingstone, This has nothing to do with the President, address issue of some senior advisor to the UPND President and what position you will offer Liato in that political rubish dumpt collecting all the refuge from MMD!!!
This very strange. You say ‘accidentally’ but put the blind man behind bars. This is a grand father for crying out loud. Has he got a criminal record?
ba grande ba lipena, bushe umwana lukuni? iwe chimbwi.
Even in negligence this is not actionable
When I heard the news on TV, I almost collapsed. I imagined the poor man in the cells. My own father was blind. I relate him to his man. Please release him.
what about the chinese who shot zambians?
Another moment of test for Zambia’s Judiciary and it’s dispensation of Justice. We shall see!!!!!!!!
How does a BLIND person chop fire wood!? I smell a rat.
I feel really sorry for the grandfather and the mother of the child.
The grandfather must not be detained, and charging him with murder is in itself unlawful. He did not murder the baby, instead he accidentally killed him. There is a difference.
It is not possible for a blind man to cut a tree or to cut fire wood. Proper investigations is needed.
This is indeed sad.But also how can the let a blind man to cut wood ? Something is not adding up somewhere.
These PF, how can charge a poor blind man with murder, which book are the using, is it the Sata-nic verses?
It is really unfortunate for that blind man. I don’t see any reason why that blind man has been arrested. It was not intentional! He has no sight and out of poverty he engages himself in physical work in order to survive! Police think twice about that caged blind man.
The Mandevu young man should just be slaughtered. Iwe mwana muchime ibange upepa lyalakololoka! Ubwalwa bwa kupula efyo bwaba!
Does involuntary manslaughter carry a charge?
This is very tragic and depressing! Zambia Police (Bakapokola) should start thinking before just picking up the penal code and charging someone with the worst offence they can find even if circumstances relating to the incident are obvious. Committing murder must have a motive, malice and intentional calculated planning of killing the victim. The grand father had no malice nor intent. All he was trying to do was cut wood so that when the daughter returns she can have firewood to cook their meals. The toddler was hacked accidentally by a man without sight. How can anyone worthy being called a cop charge this man with murder? This old blind man must be full of regret, remorse and totally saddened. If the cops delay releasing this man, he will be depressed and may die on them! MHSRIP!
SAD incident. It is like arresting a person with Chikanda pieces thinking it is game meat.
it is a crime to cut firewood wen u know u r blind.causing death by reckless activity.the state has a duty to reduce the charge to involuntary manslota.the mother will b charged for negligence.if a blind man drives a car and cause an accident will blindness be defence?if its not safe dont do it.
you are right.
Every crime in Zambia,is defined by a written law.Will you exactly tell us which law made it criminal for a blind man to chop fire wood?We are governed by the rule of law not the rule of assumption as in your case.It is such kind of reasoning that is making our police act unlawfully.i rest my case.
This was purely an accident, of cause the man was just trying to help, probably he has been helping in such a way until then. However, if one is blind or visually impaired they should refrain from doing dangerous activities that will cause harm to others such as cutting firewood . I agree with u ENG ,the man should be charged with man slaughter not murder. I feel for the mother.
Country of jokers! How do you arrest the grandfather and charge him with murder when it was purely an accident because he is blind. That is even far from manslaughter!
:((
For a case to be established the must be mens reas(criminal mind) and actus reas(illegalact) I dont see it here. No sane Judge will convict this poor blindman it was purely an accident. Neither will DPP issue instructions to prosecute.