‘Graveyard rituals’

CHINTU MALAMBO writes A KEY witness has narrated to the Lusaka High Court that slain Zambia National Service (ZNS) counselor Clare Namutenda visited her lover, who is a witchdoctor, the day before she was found dead at a grave yard near Kabangwe area. This is in a matter where Abu Ibrahim Hussein Phiri, 29, a […]

‘Graveyard rituals’
CHINTU MALAMBO writes A KEY witness has narrated to the Lusaka High Court that slain Zambia National Service (ZNS) counselor Clare Namutenda visited her lover, who is a witchdoctor, the day before she was found dead at a grave yard near Kabangwe area. This is in a matter where Abu Ibrahim Hussein Phiri, 29, a Malawian witchdoctor of 10 Miles and Saviour Daka, 35, a farmer of Eight Miles are facing charges of murder and aggravated robbery. It is alleged that the accused killed Namutenda and dumped her at a graveyard, half naked with her eyes plucked out. They also went away with her motor vehicle. The incident happened on 12 July 2019. Testifying before High Court Judge Mwape Bowa, Phiri’s lover Racheal narrated that on 12 July, 2019 around 19:00 hours, Namutenda went to the witchdoctor’s house to collect herbs from him as she used to have constant rash on her fingers. Racheal who used to cohabit with Phiri, told the court that on the material day when Namutenda showed up at their house with her Toyota vanguard, her lover’s friend Daka told her that Phiri had instructed him to give her keys to another house so that she could rest while he was attending to Namutenda in the other house. The witness said that Namutenda and Phiri would always go to the graveyard to perform rituals. “Whenever madam Clare come to our place she used to go to the graveyard with Ibrahim and on the material day they went to the graveyard,” Racheal said. She recounted that on the said day she was worried sick about her lover because he had not returned home early, as he had left his phone on the table.  “I was worried that it was getting late, I switched on Ibrahim’s phone around 21:00 hours and called madam Clare but her phone was off. At 23:00 hours I heard Ibrahim knocking at the door and when I opened I saw him with his friend Saviour. I asked him where he was coming from and the kind of work he was doing for him to come home late, and he said work was tough and he later left and only returned in the early hours of the next day at 03:00,” Racheal said. She told the court that around 10:00 she saw Phiri with Namutenda’s car which was grey in colour. Racheal said later in the day police officers went to Phiri’s house in the company of Namutenda’s friend Astridah and she was afraid because her lover had gone out during the night.  She said police officers were looking for Phiri as Namutenda was reported missing. Rachael told the court that at that time Phiri walked into the house and police officers apprehended him and asked for the keys to Namutenda’s vehicle and where the owner of the vehicle was. She said Phiri responded that he had escorted Namutenda the previous day and that she used a bus when going home. Racheal told the court that Phiri was then apprehended for further investigation. She said that whilst Phiri was in detention police officers asked her to lead them to the graveyard where Phiri performed his rituals to which she did and when they got to the graveyard they saw a crowd gathered near a ditch.  “When we got closer to the ditch, I saw madam Clara’s body, she was half naked and her private parts were exposed, her eyes were plucked out and her head was crushed. I identified her because of the slippers she liked wearing.  “We then went to Phiri’s place and police officers showed me a pounding stick which Phiri used to pound medicine and it had blood stains,” narrated Racheal  In cross examination she affirmed being jealous whenever Namutenda visited their home as she would visit her lover at awkward hours. And Colonel Maybin Monde of ZNS told the court that his wife Namutenda never returned home the previous day after informing him that she was going to attend night prayers at an unknown Church.  “On the material day  while I was having lunch with my wife Clare she informed me that she was going for prayers in the evening and she asked for money to go and buy hair in Kamwala. When she returned from Kamwala she told me that she would be going with a friend. I prepared myself and left for work.” “When I returned home around 21:00 I noticed she had not parked her Toyota vanguard home. I called her phone but it was off and I lost my patience informed her elder sister. I went to her friend Astridah the following day and asked her where my wife was but she denied being with Clare on the material day. I reported the matter to Chilenje police station and on July 14, I was called by police officers who informed me that my wife was found dead in Kabangwe area,” Recounted Monde. Trial continues The Sun