Chibombo shocker: Body of girl, 8, killed by step mum exhumed

Wed, 18 Oct 2017 09:31:36 +0000

By BENNIE MUNDANDO

IT IS barbaric, inhuman, and a sign of multiple demon-possession for someone to kill an innocent eight-year old girl, bury her, and plant sweet potatoes on top of the grave and remain mute for almost a year without confessing her wrong-doing, the Evangelical Youth Alliance (EYA) has charged.

Shock, disbelief and anger gripped the Chibombo community on Monday when they witnessed the exhumation of the body of an eight-year old girl who was gruesomely murdered, put in a sack, burnt, and buried under a rubbish pit almost a year ago by her step-mother.

A sombre mood characterised by wailing the ordeal as Charity Banda, 36, of Fringilla compound led police officers and relatives to the spot, four metres from the house entrance, where she had buried her step daughter and later planted sweet potatoes on top as a cover-up.

On December 7, 2016 at around 17:30 hours, Ms. Banda allegedly murdered her step daughter and later lied to her husband, Kennedy Chansa aged 35, who was away at the time, that she had taken his daughter to a boarding school in Mwachisompola area.

Since Mr. Chansa was a truck driver who was rarely home most of the time, Ms. Banda consolidated her lie each time he came home that the child was in school, when she was not.

According to a source who refused to be named, Mr. Chansa went to Chibombo on Saturday last week with fresh information that what his wife had been telling him on the whereabouts of his daughter was a lie.

Mr. Chansa is said to have pressurised her to tell him where his daughter was or he would personally drag her to the police station the following day.

Sensing the impending danger, Ms. Banda waited for her husband to sleep before she boiled water and poured it on him and fled the house.

“She waited for her husband to sleep and poured hot water on him and fled the house. Her husband was only taken to the hospital by neighbours. On Sunday night, she was spotted by some people who knew her, trying to catch a ride but they apprehended her and took her to the police station where she admitted killing the girl.

“We could not believe what we saw when she led police officers to where she had buried the remains of the girl because she had even planted sweet potatoes on top to cover-up the whole thing. The remains were exhumed and examined by medical experts,” the source said.

But speaking to the Daily Nation yesterday, EYA executive director Moses Lungu said there was no normal person who could live normally after murdering another person, bury the remains and plant sweet potatoes on top of the grave and stay for almost a year without confessing her sins.

“It is barbaric, inhuman, and a sign of multiple demon-possession for someone to kill an innocent eight-year old girl, bury her, and plant sweet potatoes on top of the grave and remain mute for almost a year without confessing her wrong-doing. “

Meanwhile, Zambia police public relations officer Esther Katongo said Banda has been charged with murder while officers were still awaiting the extent of the damage caused on her husband to ascertain her second charge.