Court jails Kalabo quirky ritualist for exhuming, chopping baby’s body
A 42-year-old ritualist from Kalabo Western Province, has been sentenced to 12 months of imprisonment with hard labor for his bizarre act of exhuming and chopping off the remains of a baby girl.
This eyebrow-raising case has left the town buzzing with disbelief when the culprit, Kanyanga Kalimbwe of Shambongi village in Lukona, shocked the courtroom when he confessed his guilt before the magistrate.
According to a report by ZANIS, Kalimbwe explained that the arms and legs of the deceased baby girl, who resided in Nalusheke village and tragically passed away at the tender age of three months last April, were essential for his cultural rituals.
“I admit the charge,” he declared, his voice tinged with an odd sense of conviction.
“It was around 21:00 hours when I committed the act. The remains were meant for cultural rituals which I perform.”
To everyone’s astonishment, Kalimbwe went on to confess that he had engaged in similar acts on multiple occasions.
Meanwhile, his alleged accomplice, 22-year-old Malembu Simasiku, maintained his innocence and pleaded not guilty to the offense.
However, the court dismissed Kalimbwe’s application to exclude Simasiku from the proceedings, deeming it frivolous and lacking merit.
Presiding Magistrate Eric Mushitu delivered a stern ruling, highlighting the accused’s lack of legal justification for committing such a heinous act.
He condemned the actions as cruel and barbaric, exclaiming, “This is witchcraft! How can you have the bones of a baby? You must seek prayers and reform.”
According to the particulars of the offense, on May 6, 2023, the duo knowingly trespassed on the sacred Nalusheke burial site with intentions to wound the baby, a granddaughter of Kaunda Ngumbe, who had been laid to rest on April 9, 2023.
It was only discovered last month, on May 9, that the burial site had been unlawfully desecrated.
James Mushoke, the public prosecutor, revealed that upon inspection, it became apparent that certain body parts, including the baby’s hands and legs, were missing.
The perplexed community members noticed two distinct human footprints leading away from the graveyard which led them to Kalimbwe’s whereabouts.
“After tracking the footprints, we stumbled upon Kalimbwe, who was found in possession of the baby’s body parts,” explained Mushoke.
Subsequent to the discovery, a post-mortem examination confirmed the remains to be of human origin.
Kalemba