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OLIVER SAMBOKO writes A 54-YEAR-OLD man of Siavonga district in Southern Province who was shot by unknown hired assailants on suspicion of being a wizard has died from his injuries at the University teaching Hospitals in Lusaka. The man has been identified as Simon Mutena. A close family friend, Lubinda Mubiana, said Mr Mutena was […]
OLIVER SAMBOKO writes
A 54-YEAR-OLD man of Siavonga district in Southern Province who was shot by unknown hired assailants on suspicion of being a wizard has died from his injuries at the University teaching Hospitals in Lusaka.
The man has been identified as Simon Mutena.
A close family friend, Lubinda Mubiana, said Mr Mutena was first admitted to Siavonga District Hospital before being transferred to UTH for emergency treatment.
“Simon is no more. He has finally succumbed to his gun shot injuries and died at around 04:00 hours at the University Teaching Hospital. Right now we are making arrangements to take the body to the village in Bbendele area in Siavonga,” Mr Lubinda said.
The victim of Bbendele Village on the Siavonga-Chirundu road was shot in the early hours of Tuesday before being taken to hospital by the police who rushed to the area.
Mr Mutena, who had been suspected to be one of the wizards terrorising other villagers in the area, was shot in the abdomen while he was fast asleep.
Health authorities and the police command in Siavonga confirmed the shooting.
Acting Siavonga district medical director Kabukabu Akamana said the victim, who had been brought to hospital in a critical condition with a gun wound in the abdomen, was treated for emergency before being transferred to UTH for further management.
“In the morning (Tuesday) we received a 56-year-old man who was brought in with a gun wound and after an emergency treatment, we decided to refer him to the University Teaching Hospital for further management,” Dr Akamana said.
Siavonga police officer-in-charge Cosmas Mutale told the SUN that officer did not find the assailants as they had already left the area.
He said investigations into the murder had started and a manhunt for the people behind the shooting launched.
Mr Mutale warned villagers against taking the law into their own hands.
The police in the area would not rest until the perpetrators of the shooting were brought to book to deter others.
“The information we have is that the victim had differences with his neighbours who suspected him of practicing witchcraft but as police we would like to warn the people in the area to desist from taking the law in their own hands,” Mr Mutale said.
The victim’s niece only identified as Bina Frank narrated to The Sun how they heard Mr Mutena screaming in agony from his house after hearing some gun shots.
“At first we heard some voices outside and thought it was one of the neighbours who had gone outside to answer the call of nature, but then to our surprise, we heard gunshots and screams,” she narrated in Tonga amid sobs.
Ms Frank said she later discovered that her uncle had been shot before alerting village vigilantes, who informed the police in Siavonga.
She said the family suspected the assailants had been hired by some neighbours who had for a long time been accusing his uncle of practicing witchcraft.
Such killings are common in the Gwembe Valley.