A TRADITIONAL healer of Chainda in Lusaka has been taken to court for allegedly strangling to death his ex-girlfriend’s son, an act believed to be out of rage against the breakup with the victim’s mother. This is in a case Blackford Phiri, 59, is charged with murder. It is alleged that on September 10 this year in Lusaka, Phiri murdered five-year-old Justine Mvula. On Thursday, Phiri appeared before Lusaka chief resident magistrate Lameck Mwale. Mr Mwale allocated the case to magistrate Mwaka Mikalile where the murder charge will be explained to Phiri.

accused will continue to appear before magistrate Mikalile awaiting a certificate of committal to the High Court. It alleged that on the material day, word went round in Chainda that Phiri allegedly murdered his stepson. In protest, Chainda residents ran amok and broke Phiri’s house and shop. The child’s mother, Memory Chilala, 32, said on the material day, she realised that her son was missing.

When she asked Justine’s friends on his (son’s) whereabouts, they informed her that they had seen him at Phiri’s shop. Ms Chilila went to the shop where she found Phiri, who expressed ignorance about Justine’s whereabouts. She went back home unconvinced that Justine was not in Phiri’s shop. A

fter some hours, Ms Chilala returned to Phiri’s shop over the same query but the accused denied seeing the child. At this point, the woman reported the matter to the police and a statement was recorded from her. But while Ms Chilala was reporting the case, she learnt that there was a body of a boy discovered in Silverest area. Police and Ms Chilala visited the mortuary to check whether the body , retrieved was that of her missing son. Fate was not on the woman’s side.

Ms Chilala identified her son’s body which was found in a black plastic bag in a sitting position. She also informed police that Phiri is her ex-boyfriend who she dated until 2017. After a break-up, Phiri had allegedly been trying to get back with Ms Chilala, who he once warned that he would teach her a lesson if she