MW A B A KatongoshiM w a l e , 5 6 , m o t h e r o f C h i l u b a , a suspect who was picked last week in connection with the murder of a Copperbelt University (CBU) lecturer, is sceptical about her son killing anyone over a K100. Chiluba is alleged to have murdered Maximillian Mainza, head of economics at CBU on October 5, when he was dropping off his girlfriend in Kitwe’s Nkana West. The suspect, who was picked on October 10, has been charged with aggravated robbery, rape and murder and is detained at Kitwe Central Police Station.

Mrs Mwale has wondered how Chiluba, who used to possess ‘a lot of money’, can murder anyone over a K100. She said in an interview yesterday that further allegations that her son raped Dr Mainza’s g i r l f r i e n d a r e u n f o u n d e d because he [Chiluba] has a lot of girlfriends. “Per month, my son used to make K1,800 from rentals. My husband left a house in Nkana West and Chiluba had some tenants there. So how can he kill someone over a K100 note?” she wondered.

Mrs Mwale said Chiluba has a son who is turning five this year, adding that he has two girlfriends. And when asked whether she believes her son is a killer, Mrs Mwale responded: “I will let fate determine the fate of my son, I cannot say he did not kill someone neither can I say he killed someone.” Further asked how she felt about Dr Mainza’s death, Mrs Mwale said: “The blood of a person speaks and surely one day his blood will speak.”

Mrs Mwale further dismissed allegations that Chiluba used to beat her [Mrs Mwale] and terrorised residents of Nkana West. “My son has never laid a hand on me nor his sister, all what people are saying about my son are falsehoods,” Mrs Mwale said. She described her son as a hardworking man who helped to foster the family’s businesses.

“I decided to shift from the family house and relocated to Luangwa Township because I wanted to put the house on rent, contrary to insinuations that I ran away from my son because of alleged beating,” she said. Mrs Mwale denied allegations that her son is a hardcore criminal who also attempted to rape one of his sisters. “My son has never been involved in any criminal activities.

He does not play with knives neither is he involved in any petty thieving,” Mrs Mwale said. Mrs Mwale said Chiluba is a good son who only became a bit mischievous by clubbing when he turned 16. She urged police to continue searching for the real killers of Dr Mainza because she is convinced her son did not commit the crime. And Chiluba’s sister, Chibesa Mwale, said he [Chiluba] is always protective of his sister but that he has never raped any of them. Residents of Nkana West took to the social media last week to celebrate the arrest of Chiluba ,who they accused of being mischievous