4 Relatives Get 30 years For Murder

FOUR members of the same family have been sentenced to 30 years imprisonment each with hard labour by the Kabwe High Court for murdering their relative on suspicion that he was responsible for the death of a teenager.

Kabwe High Court judge-in charge Eddie Sikazwe , sitting in Mansa recently, convicted Evans Ng’andwe 40, Chabu Musabu ,32, Belita Kunda ,54, and Mwansa Yasapa, 43, all of Chilubi Island after he found them guilty of murder with extenuating circumstances.
“This evidence as adduced has established the existence of an extenuating circumstance to enable me legally impose any other sentence other than death,” Mr Justice Sikazwe said.
Particulars of the offence are that Ng’andwe, Musabu, Kunda and Yasapa on December 26, 2012 in Chilubi, jointly and whilst acting together murdered Chomba Chapewa.
It was alleged that the four killed Mr Chapewa on suspicion that he had killed a member of the family using witchcraft and chocked him with a fish called “Lukomo.”
Delivering judgment, Mr Justice Sikazwe said the four accused persons had misled the court by telling lies.
“Even when they were beating and hacking and in the end buried the deceased in a makeshift grave, the whole talk was centered on witchcraft and nothing else,” Mr Justice Sikazwe said.
During trial, Sunday Luwe, who is Mr Chapewa’s uncle, told the court that on December 3, 2012, Morgan Yasapa, 19, son to the third accused person, died mysteriously.
Mr Luwe also said he heard that Morgan had allegedly been killed by Mr Chapewa by chocking him with a fish using charms.
He said members of the family contributed money so that they could go to a witch doctor to establish the cause of Morgan’s death.
“Together with the deceased and other members of the family, we went to see a witch doctor where we were told that none of us present were involved in Morgan’s death,” Mr Luwe said.
He said on December 26, he heard that Mr Chapewa had been taken to the graveyard to be killed because he was a wizard.
Mr Luwe said he was told that the instant justice mob was unruly and he decided to keep a distance.
He said some people in the mob were carrying assorted weapons like a hoes and pounding sticks.
Mr Luwe said Mr Chapewa’s hands were tied and he was crying.
“The crowd dug a shallow grave at the grave site before they undressed him and started beating him with their weapons until he died,” Mr Luwe said.
He said Mr Chapewa’s body was buried half way in the shallow grave head-down.
Mr Luwe said he reported the matter to Muchinshi Police Post but nothing was done because the police said they had no manpower.
He said he went and buried Mr Chapewa’s body properly with the help of relatives.
In defence, all accused denied killing Mr Chapewa and claimed that he died after an illness.
The accused said they did not believe in witchcraft.

Posted by Editor on April 15, 2014. Filed under LATEST NEWS. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry