A village headman in Komaki Village in Shiwang`andu district, Muchinga Province, has died after being beaten and assaulted over caterpillars.
Muchinga Province Police Commissioner, Joel Njase who has confirmed the incident to ZANIS in Shiwang’andu identified the late headman as Lewis Kangwa aged 52.
Mr Njase said the incident which happened last night around 20:00 hours, was reported to Police by Acting Chieftainess Kabanda of the Bisa people.
“The incident happened when the deceased headman who was coming from Chief Kabanda`s Palace met Racheal Maka, 37, in possession of caterpillars which were harvested before authorization by the traditional leader,” he explained.
“Headman Kangwa confronted Racheal and in an attempt to confiscate the caterpillars, she called her brother Nsofwa Maka who then grabbed the now deceased by the neck, beat him until he died later,” he said.
Mr Njase further said Police rushed to the scene of crime after receiving a call and found the body of the deceased was already taken to Kabanda Clinic.
He added that the suspect Nsofwa Maka run away immediately after allegedly committing the crime.
Mr Njase said the body of the deceased has been deposited in Chinsali General Hospital mortuary awaiting post-mortem examination adding that a docket has been opened.
“Police has made no arrests in this case, however, investigations have been launched to bring culprits to book,” he said.
Side effects of poverty; it leaves a trail of destruction. Please those of u that have been given an opportunity by the masses to govern us, I beg please make sound decisions that reduce poverty. U are indirectly responsible for such things.
Maka is Kampyongo cousin, hope he goes to help with funeral.
That is Kampyongo’s constituency…. SHIWANGANDU. It was same Chinsali who accused umwaiche Romeo from Kaoma to abduct an office.
…before authorization by the traditional leader! What’s this? Naine nigamunyate uyo mambala! Caipa cabe wamupaya pa matole cabe shuwa! Sorry mbuya. The Minister waku Home Affairs must ask police to do a call out. This is a very serious case ndithu.
Another scumbag, RIP
A truly sensiless act. A headman has been murdered for doing the right thing for our environment!
Caterpillars are still being harvested in 2020, exactly because of the long practiced tradition of only harvesting at a select time in the year. This ensures that some caterpillars mature into butterflies or moths for next year’s reproduction season. If you harvest caterpillars too soon, there will be no butterflies to pollinate trees and other plants – and you won’t have as many caterpillars to eat next year.
You are right, we are a long way to development, we don’t understand the very environment we live in… Shame!
Very true Teach peto
@Teach peto
Very true
As is the case with fishing. There’s symbolic authorisation.
Vinkubala vimaleta imfa
Only in Bemba land! These are the people who are hell bent on voting for PF purely on tribal reasons and yet they equally have high levels of poverty like the rest of the country. The first poster above is right that this is the effect of poverty.
And just why do the Bembas still eat these caterpillars as delicates anyway? Environmentalists should campaign against this and stop this stoneage period practice… let’s not behave like the Chinese who eat anything that lives and crawls.
It’s a sad story indeed and a sad way to leave this earth!
You do realise that the future is in eating insects and vegetables! Cattle, through belching and farts, emit a lot of detrimental gases into the environment.
Dead right! I’m tying to keep to a more sensible sustainable diet and eat like an African: basically grains and some veg. If everyone was happy with simple food like rice and peas, nobody would have to go hungry.