A 61-year-old woman has been murdered by unknown people at her house in the Farmers’ Training Centre compound in Chama district.
Muchinga Province Deputy Police Commanding Officer, Lucky Munkondya, has confirmed the murder to ZANIS in Lundazi and identified the murdered woman as Eunice Banda.
Ms. Munkondya said Diamond Sinkala, aged 52, made a phone call to the police to report the murder.
She explained that on August 31, Eunice Banda, now deceased, retired to bed with her family after having supper.
She said shortly after, an unknown male person arrived at the house and knocked on the door, claiming to be looking for his mentally ill relative.
When the now deceased and her family came out of the house, they could not recognise the said male person.
Ms. Munkondya said Eunice and her children joined in searching for the mentally ill person which the stranger was allegedly looking for.
She said it was during the search when Eunice was ambushed and hacked with an axe by another unknown person who had been hiding in the dark just behind her house.
According to Ms. Munkondya, the 61-year-old woman sustained a deep cut on her left cheek, and died at the scene as her children were trying to call for help to rush her to the hospital.
She said the two assailants fled into the nearby bush.
The Deputy Police Commanding Officer said the motive behind the act is on suspicion of witchcraft, but investigations have been instituted.
The body of the deceased was deposited in Chama District Hospital Mortuary awaiting post-mortem.