The father of a Lusaka police officer who shot himself dead on Sunday after killing two people and injuring two others says his son was non-violent and God-fearing. Peter Mwanza said in an interview at the funeral house yesterday that he was shocked that his son, Constable Jackson Mwanza, killed two people and wounded two others.

“My son was a humble, hardworking, cool and God-fearing man and his acts came as a shock to the entire family,” he said. Mr Mwanza could have been under the influence of drugs or could have been bewitched.

Constable Mwanza, 30, shot himself dead with an AK 47 rifle on Sunday morning at Chainama Golf Course. He was the fifth-born in a family of 10. He graduated from Kamfinsa Police College in 2016, and was among the top 10 trainees.

Mr Mwanza said Constable Mwanza called him shortly before killing himself that he was under pressure and was going to commit suicide.
“He called me around 07:00 hours crying that he was going to kill himself due to pressure because police had surrounded him and that all problems were caused by the lady he loved so much who had double-crossed him.

“My son told me to go and collect his body at Levy Mwanawasa. I pleaded with him not to commit suicide and while on my way to him, I was just informed that he had killed himself,” he said.
Mr Mwanza is deeply saddened by his son’s death in such a manner and also sent his condolences to the two families whose relatives were killed by Constable Mwanza.
He said it is sad that society has painted his son black without even knowing what really caused him to behave the way he did.
Mr Mwanza said his son could have been under the influence of some drug or could have even been bewitched because of his hard work because his sudden change of behaviour was shocking.
He said on Saturday night, Constable Mwanza’s girlfriend, Christine, called him to collect his son’s property and when he tried to call her, her phone was off and it has been off until now.
“I even went to her parents’ home in Kafue but she was not there,” he said.
Mr Mwanza said his son, a member of Bible Gospel Church in Africa, will be put to rest on Wednesday and post-mortem will be done today.
“We want to know the state of mind he was in at the time he did what he did,” he said.
He said only God knows exactly what his son was going through and why he behaved the way he did.
And a neighbour, Douglas Munyama, said he knew Constable Mwanza as a well brought up young man who was envied among his peers.
Constable Mwanza on Saturday between 07:00 and 08:00 hours went to Chainama Health College, where he shot Andrew Zimba, 20, a first-year clinical officer student of Mulungushi Hostel, in his left leg and bruised his left thigh.
He later went to Mtendere Sochabe Garage, where he found his girlfriend chatting with two mechanics, Dickson Mwanza, 32, and Albert Chinungo. He shot both of them. Mwanza died instantly while Chinungo died later at Levy Mwanawasa Hospital.
Constable Mwanza went on to look for his girlfriend, who had run away. He later shot and wounded his girlfriend’s friend, Felistus Tembo, 23, on her right arm.
He then went into hiding in a thicket at Chainama Golf Course, which was surrounded by policemen some of whom communicated with him, urging him to surrender.
He stayed in hiding overnight and on Sunday morning, after making some phone calls to friends and family, he turned the gun on himself.