Church elder crucifies a boy for stealing his catapult

Church elder crucifies a boy for stealing his catapult

Kabwe, February 27, ZANIS —–A 12 – year – old boy survived death after being nailed to a tree over a catapult in Chief Chamuka’s chiefdom in the new Chisamba district in Central province.

Chief Chamuka of the Lenje speaking people in Central province told ZANIS in Chisamba yesterday that Oscar Sichone 12, of Muntembo village in Chipilepile area in his chiefdom was found by his parents after a long search with his both palms and feet nailed to a tree in the bush.

The traditional leader said the boy was beaten and later taken to the bush for crucifixion by Stanley Chinyama of Kapiri village of the same area after the he was found with the missing Catapults belonging to Chinyama.

He said the incident happened this Sunday around midday and that the boy was only discovered in the evening of that day.

Central Province Commissioner of Police Standwell Lungu confirmed the incident to ZANIS in Kabwe yesterday that the incidence took place on Sunday this week at Kapiri village in Chisamba district.

Mr Lungu said police has arrested the suspect Stanley Chinyama 42, a Seventh Day Adventist (SDA) Church elder who is currently detained at Munano police station in Chisamba awaiting his appearance in court.

Expressing his disappointment in an interview with ZANIS  at his palace, Chief Chamuka said it was very heartbreaking to note that the suspect decided to crucify the boy by nailing him on a tree over a
simple reason of the loss of ‘malegeni’ (a catapult) which he described as a barbaric and inhuman act.

He further said it was sad that at the time when government and everyone was fighting the acts of violence and abuse against children, Christians who are supposed to lead in the issues of child protection could allow the devil to use them barbarically.

He added that he felt pity for both the suspect Stanley Chinyama who was a church elder and for all the churches, adding that Christianity was about shining, but that today one candle light went off due to murder acts.

The traditional leader appealed to the law enforcers to stiffen the punishment for such law breakers so as to protect the lives of many other children who cannot protect themselves from violence and to set a lesson before other would be offenders.

He urged the SDA church and other Christians at large to take up the challenge and ask for God’s guidance in everything so that no one loses faith in the men who stand at the paw pit to preach the word of God.

And narrating his fate to ZANIS at Chipembi clinic where he was admitted after the nails were removed out of his body, the boy said he in the company of his friend were found stealing catapults belonging to Mr Chinyama, who took hold of him and started bartering him.

Oscar said Mr Chinyama later carried him to the nearby bush where he hammered nails on his both palms and feet to a tree, and told him that, ‘iyi zuba uyiona ka last, nasima imene wadya lero niya last chifukwa nikupaya’ (this is the last time you are seeing the sun and the last food you ate because I am killing you).

He further said that his perpetrator told him he was going to hammer him another nail in the head before cutting him into pieces until he was dead, he said.

Oscar’s father, Oswell Sichone said the boy went missing on that material day, adding that he was later in the evening directed to the bush by a boy’s friend who claimed to have seen where the suspect took him to.

Mr sichone said he was shocked to find his son lying on the cross with his hands and feet deeply nailed to the tree as he battled for his life in a lonely bush awaiting death.

Oscar Sichone who sustained wounds caused by nails that were pierced and hammered into his hands and feet has since been transferred from Chipembi rural clinic to Liteta District hospital for further treatment of his wounds.