Friday, March 29, 2024

Government condemns the burning to death of an elderly couple on suspicion of practising witchcraft

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Government has strongly condemned the burning to death of an elderly couple on suspicion of practising witchcraft by irate residents in Ndola’s KASONGO area on the Copperbelt.

Chief Government Spokesperson Kennedy Sakeni says the act is illegal, inhuman and intolerable and will not go unpunished.

Mr. Sakeni has called on law enforcement officers to ensure perpetrators of the brutal killing are brought to book.

He said the law is very clear that people should report anyone suspected of wrongdoing to law enforcement agencies and not take the law into their own hands.

Mr. Sakeni who is also Information and Broadcasting Services Minister has warned that anyone resorting to taking the law into their own hands will face the full force of the law.

He has sent a message of condolences on behalf of the Government, to the bereaved family .

Mr. Sakeni has assured that Government will ensure that the safety and security of its citizens are upheld and protected at all times.

This is contained in a statement issued to the media in Lusaka on Tuesday.

An elderly couple of Kasongo Compound in Luanshya was killed by an instant justice mob on suspicion that they were practicing witchcraft.

Jungo Chisola 80 and his wife Matengu Sankanu were beaten to death before their bodies were set ablaze.

8 COMMENTS

  1. Educate people on altered behaviour in elderly people. The article published here yesterday was very insightful on that.

    Civilization is not in Zambia yet.

  2. ZAMBIANS NEED S EDUCATION AND REPENTANCE; THEY ACT AS IF THEY ARE NOT A CHRISTIAN NATION. POOR OLD PEOPLE SURELY IT IS JUST THE HATE & FEAR OF OLD PEOPLE AND ACCUSING EVERY OLD PERSONS AS BEING WITCHES. VERY SAD STORY M.T.S.R.I.P.

  3. Leave the elderly alone you primitive thugs. The fact that this people have lived all these years does not make them witches.You wanted them to contract HIV infections and die young. It is high time people new that when you get old you tend to behave or do things in apropriately and you may suffer from dementia and other mental issues associated with age like cognitive impairment, short or long term memory loss, paranoid behaviours and so fourth and they may wander around and stray in neighbours property and could be found undressed all together and it does not mean they are witches and you even mobilise the neighbour hood to kill the innocent and defenceless old people. I appeal to the ministry of health to start educating the communities about the elderly behaviours and illnesses

    • @ Hendrix in the west
      in your effort to explain away age related changes, you have unfortunately mixed this with behaviours that are pathological. Bottom line, the burning of the poor couple is completely unacceptable and unfortunately stem from complex societal/cultural issues, that can be summed partially as UBUTUTU.

  4. This issue of people taking the law into their on hands should be brought to a stop. Who said when people get old then they become witches? I don’t know if this is the way Zambians will be taking care of our aged people by branding them as witches. Mind you today its them who have gotten old being called witches how about you tomorrow when you get old what are you going to be called?

  5. This kind of violent behaviour was unheard of in our motherland ! I wonder what has incited the ordinary people of our communities to resort to violence out of frustrations?? Any suggestions, sons & daughters of the soil?? It seems like the emotions of the people in the country are flaring up, like the country is a pressure cooker ready to explode !!!

  6. Barberians ! Ubututu mu Zambia .Sadly even the few educated behave the same wen it comes to superstitution.Even some pastors claiming to be prophets wen they have no solutions are contributing 2 dis. What a nation! May the law deal with culprites.

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