Six people have been sentenced to life imprisonment with hard labour for murdering an elderly man who is also their relative on suspicion that he was a witch and murdered his sister inlaw identified as Terrina Mululuma.
This is in a case in which, Mumbuna Mambule, Winter Moonga , Jimmy Habbwanyanga, Clever Moonga, Bright Ng’andu and Wisdom nselela sikalungu were jointly charged with one count of murder, contrary to Section 200, Chapter 87 of the Laws of Zambia, committed on 25th July 2022 in Chikankata District.
Five witnesses including the deceased’s son, Clifford Moonga, his grandson, the widow, and others testified in the matter.
The deceased’s son told the court that while attending a burial conducted by an SDA pastor on 25th July 2022, he observed the first convict, Mumbuna, strike the coffin with a stick while uttering words toward it. As the coffin was being taken for burial, he saw Bright Moonga and others acting as pallbearers move in circles, and soon realised the burial would not proceed.
He rushed to his father’s home, where he found a large group of people carrying the coffin toward the residence. After securing his cattle, he returned and witnessed the attackers striking his father. From a tree he climbed for safety, he identified Webby Moonga, Wisdom Moonga, and Mumbuna assaulting the deceased. Another individual, identified as Fred, hit the deceased in the ribs with a stone, while Wisdom struck the deceased three times on the head with an axe.
Delivering judgment, Livingstone High Court Judge Catherine Mulenga Lombe ruled that the deceased’s death was unlawful and resulted from a brutal assault involving multiple assailants, culminating in the victim being beaten and set ablaze. She said the prosecution witnesses, particularly the son and grandson, were credible despite their close relationship to the deceased, noting that their accounts were coherent, consistent, and corroborated by other evidence.
Judge Lombe further stated that identification was positive, as the witnesses recognised individuals they already knew, and nothing obstructed their view. The court also established that convicts one to five were present at the scene and took part in the attack.
The judge dismissed the first convict’s claims of attempting to rescue the deceased, saying they were unsupported by evidence. She added that all six convicts were clearly identified as having struck the deceased with an axe, consistent with the postmortem findings, which revealed three deep head wounds and extensive burn injuries to the body except the face.
The court concluded that the mob attacked and burned the deceased due to the coffin incident that occurred during the burial.
The six have since been sentenced to life imprisonment with hard labour for murder, contrary to Section 200, Chapter 87 of the Laws of Zambia.
By Helga Chibwe
