Grandmother of Richard Zulu, the three-year-old boy who was embedded with 44 needles, Alice Shawa says the police should compel the child’s mother to reveal the person who allegedly implanted the sharp instruments in the toddler’s body. Richard’s mother, Rosemary Jere, said she wants the police to ensure that the person who embedded the needles into her son’s body is punished.

Ms Shawa said in an interview yesterday that she has every reason to believe that her daughter, Rosemary, whom she described as secretive, allegedly knows what happened to the child. “I am convinced that Rosemary knows what happened to Richard but she is not telling the truth. She likes keeping things to herself. If only the police can question her properly, I am sure that she can say something,” she said.

Ms Shawa is disturbed by the rumours surrounding Richard’s predicament. “There are a lot of rumours in Chipata [Eastern Province] right now. We hear that her current husband is behind what is happening to Richard. I received news that he has been going around town saying that Richard will not get better anytime soon because he has used the boy for rituals to get rich,” she alleged.

Ms Shawa claimed that few weeks before Richard got sick, Rosemary and her current husband travelled to Malawi, where she believes the couple did something that led to the boy’s current condition. She said police in Chipata recently called Richard’s biological father, Jacob Zulu, for questioning after he resurfaced from hiding.

Ms Shawa said Mr Zulu denied knowing what had happened to his son. She said the police told the family that Rosemary together with both her former and current husbands would be called for questioning once Richard got better. Ms Shawa said it is unfortunate that the person who embedded needles into the boy’s body is roaming the streets freely while she spends sleepless nights making sure that Richard is well taken care of.

“I am a widow with five children. I have abandoned my business because my grandchild needs me. My landlord has also threatened to evict me from the house and my children need food to eat. I can only depend on God for help,” she said. Last Monday, doctors at the University Teaching Hospital (UTH) conducted a four-hour surgery to remove the remaining 20 out of the 44 needles which were in Richard’s body.

The doctors managed to remove only nine needles after a successful operation. Twenty-four needles were extracted from Richard’s body at Chipata Central Hospital in October last year during the first surgery. After the successful surgery, President Edgar Lungu ordered the evacuation of Richard from Chipata to Lusaka for specialist treatment.

And Ms Jere said pepertrators of the evil act should be dealt with for making her son suffer. Last week, Minister of Health Chitalu Chilufya said health authorities would work closely with security wings to bring to book individuals who allegedly embedded the needles.