A 29-year-old woman of Chisesa village has been held captive for ten years by her own biological parents.

Mulenga Mwila, 79, and Eniah Mwila, 69, have been keeping their eighth born daughter in the house for more than 10 years, a situation which has raised concerns from both the community and other family members.

The incident was confirmed by both Mpika District Commissioner, Moses Katebe, and police officer in charge for Mpika, Kennedy Langeni.

Maloba Mwila was found by one of the relatives, Daniel Lwendo, who went into the house incognito and found his sister in a tiny room lying under the bed without any linen while her hands were tied to the bed.

Daniel later went to report the matter to other relatives within the village who advised him to report the matter to the District Commissioner so that both parents could be arrested.

According to the area Councillor, Kelly Nsofwa, Maloba went missing 10 years ago and parents told the concerned people and other relatives that their daughter was taken to the copperbelt by her auntie so that she could be sponsored to college.

Mr Nsofwa explained that he had been receiving some tips from the community members that Maloba Mwila had been detained in the house by her parents who kept on refusing and accusing the village headman that he was inciting the community to rise against him on allegations that he was a wizard.

Police, together with the District Commissioner, rushed to Kabinga and went straight into the house and found the woman who went missing at
the age of 15 years.

Mr and Mrs Mwila were taken together with their sick daughter to Mpika District Hospital where she has been admitted.

And in an exclusive interview, father told ZANIS that the daughter became insane in 2007 and was very violent hence he decided to keep her away from the general public.

However, according hospital authorities, Maloba has been referred to Kasama General Hospital Psychiatric Evaluations as she is being suspected of being psychotic

Maloba’s insanity has brought about a lot of mixed feelings from the community members who are suspecting rituals and demanded that the law take its effect and called on government to punish parents who are in a habit of abusing their own children.

Human Rights Commission Coordinator for Northern and Muchinga Provinces, Kebby Malila, told ZANIS in a telephone interview that parents had no right to keep their own child in the house even if the daughter is insane.

Mr Malila explained that the justification that parents have given of preventing the insane lady from the general public because of being violent was not enough, adding that the violent condition would have helped them to quickly take Maloba to the hospital.

Mr Malila said his commission has developed interest in the case and will this week visit Chisesa village of Kabinga to investigate the matter and once the truth is established, the Human Rights will take the parents to court for force imprisonment.

But when contacted for a comment, Mpika police officer in charge, Kennedy Langeni, said the police have found it difficult to arrest the parents of the girl because the matter is complicated and may be difficult to prove in court.

The officer in charge told ZANIS that no statement was recorded from Daniel Lwando to stand as a witness as he has been treated as an informer.

Mr Langeni said cases to do with rituals are difficult to prove in court because there is no law that talks about witchcraft and the punishment.

The officer in charge has since appealed to human rights activists to help Maloba Mwila so that she can recover quickly.

Yesterday, scores of women in Mpika district harassed the mother of Maloba whom they described as a heartless mother.

The irate women almost pounced on Eniah Mwila, 69, for neglecting her own daughter to such an extent for ten years but she was rescued by hospital authorities.

Maloba is still at Mpika District Hospital awaiting transport to take her to Kasama General Hospital for psychiatric evaluations.

[ZANIS]

Voting in the Feira constituency by-election in Luangwa district of Lusaka province is underway although it started on a slow note.

In most polling stations, voting started slightly after 06:00 hours.

At Luangwa primary school, the polling station was declared open by the presiding officer Doreen Zila at exactly 06:00 hours and the first voter Austin Botha cast his vote three minutes after.

At the time of opening the polling station, only 13 people were in a queue in the first stream while eight others were in the second stream.

A similar situation characterized polling stations in Mandombe ward where queues of people were found waiting to cast their votes.

But at Kakoro primary school in Phwazi ward, where voters are also electing a ward councilor besides the Member of Parliament, the situation was better as 26 had already cast their votes by 06:50 while at Child Fund Community School, 14 people had cast their votes by 06:40 hours despite the polling station opening two minutes late.

Meanwhile, fish business at the harbours in Luangwa has slowed down today because fishermen, women and traders have all gone to cast their votes.

A check by ZANIS at the two harbours found few Zambian fishermen and traders conducting their businesses while others traders were alleged to have come from the neighbouring Zimbabwe and Mozambique.

When asked whether they had already cast their votes or not, one of the traders, who sought anonymity, explained that she and other colleagues were ineligible voters in Zambia but stated that the rest of her colleagues had gone to cast their votes in their respective polling district.

At the central business area where all political activities mainly took place during campaigns, the situation is calm and business is going on smoothly.

Feira constituency has a population of 25,296 out of which 11,264 people are registered voters. The constituency has 31 polling stations.

The Feira seat fell vacant when Patrick Ngoma of the Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD) ditched the former ruling party to join the ruling Patriotic Front (PF). Mr. Ngoma is recontesting the seat on the PF ticket.

The seat is also being contested by United Independence Party (UNIP) candidate Charles Kanyama, United Party for National Development (UPND) candidate Eularia Zulu, MMD candidate Elias Phiri and NAREP’s Samuel Sikaonga.

ZANIS

A resident of chief Chinyaku’s area in Chipata says the picture being portrayed to people in rural areas that they appreciate the removal of subsidies on fuel and maize is misleading.

Rasford Nkhuwa, 73, of Chiwuye Farms, stated that most people in the country do not understand the benefit of removing the subsidies on fuel and maize which he said mostly affected the vulnerable.

Mr Nkhuwa was speaking in a walk in interview with ZANIS in Chipata today.

He said it was not true that people in rural areas were abreast with government’s decision to remove subsidies on fuel and maize.

Mr Nkhuwa said it was sad that the removal of the subsidies was allegedly done in a hurry without consulting the people especially those in rural areas who he said were the most affected.

Mr Nkhuwa said people gave the mandate to the government expecting that when effecting huge measures that affect the majority, especially the vulnerable, the people would first be consulted.

“The orphans and widows are the most affected when such measures are abruptly implemented,” he said.

He said in the past government engaged Zambia News and Information Services (ZANIS) to disseminate information to the rural parts of the country when such measures were undertaken to enable them be abreast with what was going on in the country.

Recently, there have been numerous explanations towards the removal of subsidies across the country, with government clearly stating that the move is aimed at directing resources towards the development of infrastructure in the country to benefit mostly the rural populace.

ZANIS

Government says it is committed to constructing an ultramodern a state-of –the- art fish freezing facility in Itezhi-Tezhi district.

Deputy Minister of agriculture and Livestock Greyford Monde says government was committed to ensuring that Itezhi-Tezhi district contributes immensely to the economic growth of the country through fishing industry.

“Itezhi-Tezhi is expected to benefit from the construction of fish market and freezing facility, this facility will help fish traders and fishermen preserve and to package their fish in standard ways as well as market their fish” Mr. Monde said.

ZANIS reports that the Deputy minister said this in a telephone interview from Lusaka, yesterday.

Mr. Monde, who is also Itezhi Tezhi Member of Parliament, explained that the project will afford fishermen and traders alike to have access to market for their fish.

He also said the facility will provide the Fisheries department an opportunity to have statistics of how much fish is going out of the district.

Mr. Monde said that Itezhi-Tezhi district has never had public freezing facility and a standard fish market and fishermen have been selling fish anywhere without a designated place.

He has assured people in the district that government is committed to delivering development in Itezhi-tezhi district.

He is also happy that government has shown political will to reconstruct the Itezhi tezhi Mongu road Junction which is the main link between Itezhi tezhi and Mongu road.

The deputy minister also commended the government for the urgency they have shown in ensuring that the much needed road is reconstructed.

He said that by 30th June the government will appoint a consultant and contractor for the D769 road.

“We are hoping that the construction of the road will commence as soon as contractor and consultant are appointed” Mr. Monde said.

Mr. Monde has urged people to continue to work with the government to develop the district and improve people’s lives.

According to the project brief obtained from ministry of Livestock and agriculture, the one stop fish market and freezing facility will cost about K380,000(K380Million).

ZANIS