Copperbelt Police Commissioner Charity Katanga has warned that police will not condone lawlessness caused by unfounded accusations of witchcraft.
This follows two separate incidents which occurred in Mpongwe where, irate members of the public dumped corpses at households of persons accused of practicing witchcraft.
In an interview with ZANIS, Ms. Katanga said her office has received reports of commotion in Mpongwe involving two deceased bodies who were alleged to have been bewitched.
She disclosed that in the first incident, irate members of the public on Saturday 17, 2018 resisted to conduct burial for a deceased person identified as Lloyd Mutinta 27 of Chikololo Village in Mpongwe.
She said members of the public exhumed the body consequently dumping it at the house of the person accused of practicing witchcraft identified as Ngolobola.
The second incident occurred yesterday Tuesday,March 20, involving a deceased person identified as Sentiya Mutabi aged between 18 and 25 years of St. Anthony area in Mpongwe.
She said Douglas Ngalande a businessman of Chief Ndubeni area in Mpongwe was accused of having killed Mr. Mutabi for business rituals and the body of the deceased was dumped at his grocery store.
Ms. Katanga has warned that police will not condone such behavior by members of the public or any ritual burial commonly known as ‘Bwela Bwela’ as it amounts to criminal trespass with intent to annoy as stipulated in the penal code of the laws of Zambia.
She has since urged traditional leaders in Mpongwe to sensitize their subjects on the law and what it states in relation to accusations of witchcraft.
Ms. Katanga further stated that police are monitoring the situation in the area and that no arrests have been made concerning the two incidents.
You mean? You really mean such things happen? Witchcraft? On the copperbelt? 50 years into independence??
Hmmm, exhumed and damped? It hard to comprehend or imagine such incident happens. SHOCKED !!
This is poverty and what it can do.
So if it was a white man or mwenye who had that grocery, nothing such would have happened, but because it’s chifrika, then heck, he can`t be a successful businessman without witchcraft. SAD.
Ok if he is witch, why not be scared that if they dump icitumbi, he be annoyed and bewitch them all.?
Just bewitch them all village, send them lightening, akalumba”, they’ll never ever dump at your house again. Balowe fye.
PF Carder
This is where GRZ should be training chiefs and headmen that witchcraft is not true but a backward demon belief that drags communities down…..why are you paying those chiefs who can not sanitize their subjects as to the perils of believing in witchcraft.
In Europe beliefs in witchcraft were stoped hundreds of years ago but it seems Africans are too illiterate.
I don’t feel I have the right to criticize the beliefs of anyone if they are sincerely held, but what I would say is that one of the greatest black composers of the 20th century, the incomparable master of ragtime Scott Joplin, wrote an opera all about a black community in the USA abandoning superstition and moving forward. It is called Treemonisha. Don’t take my word for it, or even his – think it through and come to your own conclusions.
Treemonisha huh? Where do I get it?
@ Jason is the reason africa is backwards
Kuyopa! You must have the guts to criticise anything wrong!
Stand up in africa the same people that are scared of witchcraft believe in miracles eish!
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But Zambia is a christian nation. Ask Zodwa wa Bantu