77 YEAR OLD GRANDMOTHER DIES IN HOUSE SET ABLAZE BY HER 35 YEAR OLD GRAND DAUGHTER
POLICE REPORT: Lufwanyama Police Station:
Occurred on 02/06/24 around 19:00hrs at Lutuna Village of Kambilombilo area of Lufwanyama, in which F/ Joyce Lumbwe aged 55 of Kambilombilo area at V/ Lutuna C/ Shibuchinga D/ Lufwanyama reported that her mother Lebani Pilioni aged 77 of the same abode and particulars has been murdered by her grand daughter Belifa Kondowe aged 35 also of the same abode and particulars after setting her grass thatched house on fire while she was sleeping.
Brief facts are that the deceased was sleeping in her house on 02/06/24 around 19:00hrs. The suspect who was in a drunken state and was living in her own house about 20 meters from the deceased’s then got dry grass and burnt it on the ground 4 meters from her house. She then lit a dry wood which she used to torch the deceased house who was old and sleeping in the house. When the reporter who lives in her house 45 meters from the deceased saw the house burning, she rushed to the scene. She together with her grand daughter F/ Peggy Katampanya aged 24, tried to put out the fire but failed. They called out to neighbors who came and tried to rescue the victim but the fire had become big and uncontrollable, burning the victim to death.
Police Lufwanyama visited the scene upon receiving the report and found the deceased still in the house which was still burning. The debris was cleared and it was observed that she died while sleeping on her steel bed. The body was almost completely burnt with only the upper part of the body from the chest up still visible while the rest of the body was burnt to ashes. On searching the house the piece of wood used to burn the house down by the suspect was found behind the deceased’s house.
interviews with the witnesses revealed that the suspect always wanted to chase the deceased from the village claiming it was hers and everytime she went out drinking, she would come and insult the deceased and other family members stating she didn’t want them at the village. At the time of the fire, the suspect sat in her house unconcerned while people battled with the fire and when they asked her why she didn’t come out to help, she stated that she thought everyone had shifted and she also wanted to burn her house down and hence burning the grass from her roof 4 meters from her house. She was still drunk at the time and that’s how the community members apprehended her and took her to Kambilombilo Local court for safe custody until the Police arrived.
Docket opened, scene visited, Bid forms issued and body deposited in Kitwe Central Hospital Mortuary awaiting postmortem. More to follow.
PEACEWELL MWEEMBA
OUTGOING COPPERBELT POLICE COMMISSIONER