UN K N O W N people in Kabwe yesterday dumped a coffin with a d e a d c h i c k e n i n s i d e a t t h e business premises of Makululu ward councillor Victor Kolala. Mr Kolala and Central Province Commissioner of Police Chola Katanga confirmed the incident in separate interviews. The coffin was first seen around 06:00 hours by a woman living near the shop.

The blood-stained brown coffin, measuring about one metre, was found at VK Complex covered in a white cloth. The dead white broiler chicken inside the coffin had its legs tied with a red material.

There was also a note dated April 18, 2020, written in capital letters, and the authors claimed the civic leader has remained with a target of 50 people to kill. The letter read: “That’s the way to go VK.VK.VK, you have done it. We thank you for such a good donation of blood during gassing period. You are now remaining with 50 people to go.

Wishing you all the best.” But Mr Kolala, who availed a WhatsApp copy of the letter at his business premises, said his hands are clean of any human blood. He said people who dumped the coffin are his political enemies who want to tarnish his image and implicate him in witchcraft ahead of the 2021 elections.

“This has to do with politics and I have been through this before. Otherwise I am soldiering on and going for it,” Mr Kolala said. Mr Kolala, who this year clocks 10 years as Makululu ward councillor, said only evil-minded people with intentions to harm him can implicate him in heinous activities. Mr Kolala said he had a similar experience in 2013 when he was vying for the office of mayor of Kabwe and he was accused and reported to police that he was collecting heads of people.

Scores of people in Makululu flocked to his shop to catch a glimpse of the coffin, which was picked around 07:00 hours by three police officers from Kasanda Police Station. And Mr Katanga said police officers who rushed to Mr Kolala’s premises found blood stains and a dead white chicken inside the coffin.

“When my officers who went to VK Complex in Makululu compound opened the small coffin, which was wrapped in a white cloth, they found a dead chicken inside and blood stains,” he said. He said the coffin was taken to Kasanda Police Station, where it was burnt between 10:00 hours and 11:30 hours in the presence of Mr Kolala. Mr Katanga said investigations have bee