A 73 Year old man of Kitwe’s Wusakile Township has allegedly been murdered by his wife and son on accusations of practicing witchcraft.

Copperbelt Police Commissioner Elias Chushi confirmed the incident to ZANIS in Kitwe today.

Mr. Chushi identified the deceased as James Chanda 73, of house number T47 in Wusakile Township.

Mr. Chushi disclosed that the 2 suspects identified as Lunenga Chanda the deceased’s son and Phoebe Kunda his wife, are being detained by police for further investigations.

Mr Chushi explained that the grand daughter to the deceased, Tremor Mpongo, reported to police that her grandfather was murdered following accusations of practicing witchcraft.

“The reporter stated that she saw Luneta stamping on the deceased before he died and also saw him lifting the deceased up and hitting him onto the ground violently while the co-suspect slapped him several times adding that he was seen bleeding from the nose and mouth,” Mr. Chishi narrated.

He further stated that the police visited the incident scene and the victim was rushed to Kitwe Teaching Hospital where he died around 06:00 hours today.

Mr Chushi further revealed that the body of the deceased is lying in the Kitwe Teaching Hospital mortuary awaiting postmortem.

The government has expressed concern over the low adherence levels of COVID-19 guidelines in Muchinga province.

Muchinga Province Permanent Secretary Davison Mulenga said the government has noted that the public are not adhering to the COVID-19 guidelines despite the reinforcement of preventive measures.

Captain Mulenga who was represented by the Provincial Deputy Permanent Secretary Jonathan Ng’onga, during a COVID-19 Disaster Management Committee meeting in Chinsali yesterday, said that people have also stopped reporting any suspected symptoms of the virus to health authorities.

Capt Mulenga charged that the province has continued to record COVID-19 confirmed cases with two COVID-19 deaths recorded in the last three weeks, further urging stakeholders to work together to help fight the pandemic.

“It is my expectation that critical members of the committee will take their roles in urging their officers at district level to work in a multi-sectoral manner to enforce the new measures,” he said.

He has since directed the Disaster Management Committee to pick practical strategies that will support to implement measures that will be put across in order to control the further spread of the disease as well as adherence to the ministry of health guidelines in the province.

Captain Mulenga also stressed on the significance of community engagement while reinforcing the measures given by President Edgar Lungu through Secretary to the cabinet, Simon Miti.

And speaking during the same meeting, Muchinga Provincial Health Director Nero Chilembo said the COVID-19 third wave has suffocated the health system that has led to loss of many lives, stressing that the fight against the pandemic in its third wave should be taken seriously.

Dr. Chilembo mentioned that community sensitization on health guidelines should be enhanced to ensure that the communities adhere to the five golden rules.

“The situation on the ground in Muchinga is business as usual and this calls for conceited efforts towards changing the mindset of the general public,” he stated.

Meanwhile, the Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit (DMMU) in Muchinga has received a total sum of K200 thousand to support the COVID-19 fight through surveillance, contact tracing, risk communication as well as reinforcement.

DMMU Provincial officer Precious Miti, said the resources will be distributed to districts with high cases of COVID-19.

The Zambia National Service (ZNS) has intercepted and impounded foreign trucks laden with 2,400 x 50 kilograms bags of soya beans which were about to be smuggled outside the country using fake export documents.

ZNS Muchinga Regional commander, Phinious Muntanga disclosed that the four trucks were impounded at Nakonde in Muchinga Province over the weekend after owners of the contraband attempted to bribe ZNS officers with K500

Lt. Col. Muntanga said the trucks were intercepted and impounded after alert officers discovered that the consignment destined for a named country had fake documents.

Several trucks ladden with soya beans have in the recent past been intercepted and impounded by ZNS at various check points between Mpika and Nakonde for illegal conveyance of the commodity whose final destination is Kenya and Somalia.

He said after the exporter realized that the officers had discovered anomalies on the export documents, the exporter gave officers K500 as an inducement to facilitate the release of the impounded trucks together with the contraband.

“After being intercepted and impounded, the exporter gave officers K500 as an inducement to facilitate the release of the impounded trucks together with contraband,” said Lt. Col. Muntanga.

Ltd. Col. Muntanga said the impounded trucks together with the contraband will be handed over to the Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) for a possible seizure of both the vessels and the contraband in accordance with the law.

And Nakonde District Commissioner Field Simwinga has commended ZNS for remaining vigilant and ensuring that all trucks involved in the illegal conveyance of soya beans, maize and other grains are impounded.

Mr. Simwinga said many Zambians are conniving with foreign nationals to illegally move maize and other grains including soya beans outside the country through Nakonde border.

He warned that government is aware about all the tricks smugglers are using adding that security officers will not relent in ensuring that such illegal tricks and movements are curtailed.

Mr. Simwinga also appealed to ZNS command to increase man power and allocate enough vehicles to the unit to enable officers conduct random checks in various places in the border town.

“Am happy that our security officers in the border town are equal to the task in ensuring that such illegal movement of Soya beans and other grains is stopped but I wish to appeal to ZNS high command to allocate more vehicles to the unit at Nakonde for effective monitoring of movement of maize and other grains.

And Muchinga Province Permanent Secretary Davison Mulenga has warned people involved in the illegal movement of Soya beans and other grains that they will face the full wrath of the law.

Capt. Mulenga said government has given clear guidance on the movement of Soya beans and other grains.

“I want to warn that we have given enough guidance on the movement of Soya beans and other grains and our officers will remain vigilant and ensure anyone abrogating the law is dealt with accordingly,” said Capt. Mulenga.