Zambian teacher stoned to death

As THE nation joined various rights groups, including lobbyists such as the Law Association of Zambia (LAZ), to speak against gender-based violence, tragedy struck in Eastern Province.
A teacher in Nyimba was stoned to death in a manner similar to the Biblical stories where the practice was a form of capital punishment preserved only for those with high crimes such as murder.
Ostensibly, the ‘executioners’ are not known or have not been identified yet but their motive, according to police, is that they were allegedly angered at the fact that the teacher rebuked a Grade 12 girl he found chatting with men late in the night.
Lundu Mbulo, a teacher at Mulilo Primary School, had advised the girl to concentrate on her studies instead of hanging around with men at awkward hours.
Eastern Province commissioner of police Grace Chipalila said yesterday that Mr Mbulo was killed last Wednesday at Chinsimbwe village in Chieftainess Mwape’s area in Nyimba.
She said Mr Mbulo went to a nearby shop to buy airtime around 22:00 hours and on his way, he met one of the Grade 12 girls chatting with men.
“He approached the girl and advised her to study instead of spending time with men. On his way back after buying airtime, he still found the girl chatting with men and when he again tried to advise her against doing so, the villagers descended on him and stoned him to death,” Ms Chipalila said.
She described Mr Mbulo’s death as sad and advised people against taking the law into their own hands.
“The advice the teacher was giving to the girl was genuine and correct. We need to respect teachers because we need them,” Ms Chipalila said.
And a 71-year-old man has been burnt to death by unknown people who torched the house in which he was sleeping.  They allegedly suspected that he was a wizard.
Allam Kabamba was killed in the early hours of Friday in Chief Chibale’s area in Serenje and he becomes the ninth elderly person killed in the area on suspicion of sorcery.
Serenje district commissioner Charles Mwelwa said other elderly people in areas such as Lumpampa, Chalilo, Kundalumwasha, Kabundi and Chimupati have either been burnt or axed to death in similar circumstances.
Mr Mwelwa said Mr Kabamba was initially living in Mukopa but was forced to relocate to Saninga when a witch finder, who visited the village, alleged that he was practising witchcraft.
Meanwhile, a 24-year-old man of Kapiri Mposhi has allegedly been murdered by five men.
Central Province police commissioner Standwell Lungu said Emmanuel Mwamba was murdered in Makafu area around 02:00 hours on Sunday.
The five suspects have been arrested and are in police custody in Kapiri Mposhi.
The body of the deceased is in the Kapiri Mposhi District Hospital mortuary awaiting post-mortem and burial.