Lufwanyama peasant to hang for murdering wife

THE Ndola High Court has sentenced to death a 66-year-old Lufwanyama peasant who murdered his wife after he found her dancing in a bar.
Judge Mary Mulanda, who passed the sentence last Thursday, said she was convinced that Bernard Mulenga caused the death of his wife after he forcibly dragged her out of the bar.
Particulars are that Mulenga, on September 15, last year, in Lufwanyama, murdered Gladys Kachindila. Mulenga denied the charge.
“The evidence on record indicates that Mulenga and his wife were staying just the two of them in their house. Therefore, considering how Mulenga was seen pulling his wife from the bar, the logical conclusion is that it is Mulenga who killed his wife. I must say that had Mulenga left Ms Kachindila alone at the bar, she would not have died. It was because he handled her roughly as seen from the pictures and the postmortem report.
“As to whether the deceased was drunk, it is not for this court to say. But the people who saw her at the bar on that material day said she was happy and was dancing. I am, therefore, satisfied by the evidence adduced that Mulenga acted with malice aforethought when he caused injury that led to Ms Kachindila’s death,” Judge Mulanda said.
She said Mulenga will hang by the neck until he is pronounced dead.
During trial, Rabson Kashoto, 57, who was the nephew of Ms Kachindila, told the court that on the material day around 18.00 hours, he was at Mulela tavern when a man identified as Kamfwa told him that his aunt was being dragged by her husband because he was not happy that he found her at the bar “wriggling her waist in a careless manner”.
And NANCY SIAME in Lusaka reports that Police in Nchelenge have arrested a 26-year-old man for allegedly beating and killing his three-year-old son for visiting his (suspect’s) estranged mother.
John Kabemba, who was at loggerheads with his mother, allegedly beat John junior when he found him at his grandmother’s place.
Luapula Province deputy commissioner of police Webby Shula said in an interview yesterday that the incident happened last Tuesday around 16:00 hours in Nshimba village.
“The accused started beating his son with a stick after he found him at the house of his mother,whom he had differed with,” Mr Shula said.
He said the boy complained of general body pains after the incident and later died on Friday as he was being taken to St Paul’s Mission Hospital.
Meanwhile, a 75-year-old Mansa man is battling for his life after his relatives beat him and confined him to a room on suspicion that he had bewitched his nephew.
Police have since arrested one of the suspects, Justina Mwansa, a niece of the victim, while six other family members are on the run.
Mr Shula said Peter Sowe of Chikontwe village was beaten by his relatives on Sunday between 09:00 hours and 13:00 hours at his residence.
Mr Shula said the victim was accused of bewitching his nephew, who has had a swollen leg over a long period of time.