CHRISTINE CHIHAME, Kitwe
THE Kitwe Magistrate’s Court has convicted a 42-year-old woman of Kitwe for accusing her fellow woman of killing her son through witchcraft.
Appearing before senior resident magistrate Daniel Musonda was Rose Musonda of Kwacha township, who was facing one count of naming a person to be a witch.
Particulars are that on June 3, this year, in Kitwe, Musonda called Elizabeth Mulenga a witch.
Magistrate Musonda said he was satisfied with the evidence from the prosecution witnesses and found Musonda guilty of naming a person a witch.
“Am satisfied of a case charged against you and I find you guilty as charged, and convict you accordingly,” magistrate Musonda said.
During trial, Ms Mulenga told the court that on the material date, she was called to attend a meeting convened by the convict.
She narrated that whilst at the meeting, she was asked if she had a hand in the death of Musonda’s son.
The court heard that the meeting did not resolve anything but rather ended up in emotional verbal exchange.
Later the same day, Musonda went to the complainant’s house to tell her that she had consulted witchdoctors, who told her that she killed her son using witchcraft.
The court heard that Musonda claimed that the witchdoctors had told her that what they buried during the day of burial was not her son but a piece of banana tree.
Ms Mulenga said Musonda’s accusations attracted scores of people from the neighbourhood, who joined in the accusation and started calling her a witch.
Later, the complainant reported the matter to the police and Musonda was charged and arrested with the subject offence.