The Chipata High Court has heard how a witchdoctor of Chipata’s Chile Village in Paramount Chief Mpezeni’s area allegedly murdered and beheaded a man, who went to demand for his cow, after the witchdoctor failed to fulfil his promise.

One of the witnesses Saindani Phiri aged 26, a son to the deceased, Tilivelio Phiri told the court that his father decided to consult the witchdoctor, Dalio Tembo and seek medical attention from him when he felt that he doesn’t receive help from the hospital.

He narrated to the court that after paying a sum of 200 Kwacha to the witchdoctor for screening, the accused person later demanded for a payment of 3,500 Kwacha in order for him to transfer the disease to the person, who bewitched him.

Phiri said the witchdoctor was instead given a cow in order for him to heal his father and transfer the disease to the person, who bewitched him.

He said after few days, his father went back to Dalio’s place to collect his cow because what the witchdoctor promised didn’t happen, but that he never went back to the village.

And another witness Francis Soko told the court that after the village headman Lazaro Tembo instructed people in the village to go to Dalio’s place and search for the deceased person, about 40 people including some with dogs went to conduct a search at the witchdoctor’s place.

He said the body of the deceased was found buried without a head at Dalio’s farm and that the accused person further led police officers to where he had buried the head which was found in a bag.

Trial in the matter before Judge Mwila Chitabo continues.