By GRACE CHAILE LESOETSA
A CHILLING atmosphere filled the Lusaka High Court room as witnesses testified how two PF members were butchered by suspected UPND cadres in Lusaka’s Kanyama area, last year.
Mr Edwin Kasongo narrated that his young brother, Danny Kasongo, had four deep cuts on the head with the brain tissue out, another cut on the right side of his head with an ear and index finger missing, and a stab wound in the heart with a knife imbedded inside.
While Mr Idas Mulongo testified that his brother, Davies Kabunda’s arm was almost cut off with only a tissue holding it with two cuts on his face which formed a cross, and a cut on his head.
This is a matter in which eight UPND cadres are accused of murdering Danny Kasongo and Davies Kabunda on July 30, 2021 after raiding a PF camp in Kanyama’s Mbasela area.
The accused are Samson Mumba, Kelvin Banda, John Mwanza and Njekwa Puteho. Others are Reuben Nalikana, John Bwalya and two Juveniles.
When trial commenced yesterday before Judge Charles Zulu, the court was given a description of the inhuman killing of the two victims. Mr Edwin Kasongo, a security guard of Kuku compound, stated that on July 30, 2021, at around 16: 00 hours he received a call from the late Danny Kasongo’s wife informing him of his death.
He stated that the next day, he went to Kanyama Police post to inquire about his brother’s death where he was asked to go and identify the body at UTH mortuary.
“My brother had four deep cuts on his head and suspected they used a machete, even his brain tissue had come out. He had a cut on the right side of his head and his ear was cut off. He also had several cuts on his backside and also his small finger was cut off. He was stabbed in the lower side of his heart with a knife, and the knife was still inside,” he narrated.
Mr Mulongo also told the court that during identification of his brother, Kabunda, he also had a deep cut on his head.
“What I saw was that his arm was almost cut off, only a tissue like was holding it. He had a cut across the face from the right side of the cheek to the other cheek and another cut from the forehead to the chin,” he said.
However, when both were asked by defence counsel Dr Clement Andeleki if they knew who had killed the victims, they answered in the negative.
Mr Kasongo and Mr Mulongo also denied knowing the eight suspects.
Another witness in the matter, Darius Sikoongo a former police reserve and director of City Of Lusaka Security Company, told the court that accused person, Njekwa Puteho, who worked at his firm as a security guard confessed to him that he had killed people in Kanyama.
“I asked him why he was not coming to work, he said he wasn’t feeling well. When I checked him, he had a wound caused by a machete. When I asked him if he was part of those that killed PF members, he refused,” he said.
“But after I told him that I will call Kanyama Police post, he stopped me. Njekwa then confessed that he had killed people in Kanyama,” he stated.
But when asked by the defence team to produce evidence of Puteho’s confession, Sikoongo said he did not have the evidence.
He was also quizzed on why he did not put in his statement at the police that the accused person confessed to having killed people in Kanyama.
When asked if he saw the eight committing the offence, he responded that only God and the suspects would know.
Trial continues today.
