PEMBA MAN KILLS HIS UNCLE DURING ALTERCATION OVER WITCHCRAFT ACCUSATIONS
Pemba Police Station on 09/02/2025 at 07:00 hours received a report of murder in which Mr. Jimmy Mweemba aged 49 of Chigabwa village, Chief Hamaundu, Pemba district reported that his uncle, Mr. Edward Hatwiko aged 81 of the same village, was murdered by Mr. Tyson Matimba aged 49 also of Chigabwa village. This occured on 09/02/2025 around 02:00 hours at Chigabwa village, Chief Hamaundu, Pemba district.
Brief facts of the matter are that in the month of July, 2024 the suspect, Tyson Matimba, lost his daughter, Sharon Hamaimbo, and he suspected his now deceased Uncle to have bewitched her. Since that time the suspect has been repeatedly insulting the now deceased, accusing him of being a wizard. Then on 9th February, 2025 around 02:00 hours the suspect returned from a drinking spree and started insulting the now deceased as always. That is when the now deceased whose house is about 100 meters away from the suspect’s house went out with a view of finding out why he was being insulted. That angered the suspect who took a pounding stick and hit the deceased all over the body.
A 16-year-old nephew of the suspect rushed to the nearby village to awaken community members. When they came, they found the now deceased gasping for breath and shortly after, he became lifeless. The suspect had already fled the scene.
Acting on the report, officers visited the scene and found the deceased lying in a pool of blood. The body was facing upwards and upon inspection, officers observed that he was bleeding from both the mouth and nose and the head was swollen. He also sustained a cut on the forehead and the right arm was broken. A broken pounding stick was recovered as an exhibit in the suspect’s kitchen which is about 8 meters from where the body was found.
The dead body was later picked from the scene and deposited in Pemba Hospital mortuary awaiting post-mortem and burial.
A docket of case has been opened and a manhunt has been launched to bring the culprit to book.
Issued by:
Mr. Auxensio Daka (Commissioner of Police) Commanding Officer – Southern Division