PETER MALASHA writes
A 35 year-old year old woman of Mkushi District has been detained by police for allegedly killing her three day-old baby boy.
Central Province commissioner, Chola Katanga, confirmed the incident which happened at Karren Farm between July 19 and 20 but reported to police on the July 22, by Chola Kauseni of Versal Farms in the Mkushi Farm Bloc.
Mr. Katanga identified the woman as Barbra Mwape, 37, who is believed to have killed the baby and buried it in the shallow grave within the same farm grounds.
Commissioner Katanga further said the victim’s body has been exhumed and deposited at Mkushi District Hospital mortuary awaiting postmortem.
“The suspected murder occurred between July 19, and 20 at Karren Farm in the Farm Bloc. The body has been recovered and deposited to Mkushi district hospital mortuary,” Mr. Katanga said.
But Ms Mwape, who has been in police custody since yesterday July 22 has denied killing her child claiming it was a still born.
She said she decided to bury the baby after realizing it was dead.
Ms Mwape, a mother of five, told the Sun that she delivered the baby while alone around 19:00hrs on July 19 and could not inform her neighbours about it because they were not in good books with her.
She said her 50 year-old husband, Stan Tembo, also travelled to Mazabuka to search for a job in December, 2018 when she was a month old pregnant but has not been back since then.
“I was left with no option but to bury my son alone”, she said.
Meanwhile, Mkushi District Child Protection Committee (DCPC) chairperson Agness Manda has condemned the suspected murder of the child and described it as a violation of the child’s right to life.
In another development, police in Mkushi police have picked up a body of a man in the Muzanyuma area.
Mr Katanga confirmed the development and identified the man as Brain Tembo, 32, of Mkushi’s Itala Township.
He said the man is believed to have died between Monday 08:00hrs and Tuesday around 07:00hrs but that no foul play was suspected.
Commissioner Katanga said police visited the scene of the incident and a physical inspection of the body revealed it had no injuries.
He said, mother to the victim, Joyce Malunga, 58, also confirmed to police that her son was a sickling.
The body is lying in Mkushi District Hospital mortuary awaiting burial.
Meanwhile, a 37 years old man of Mkushi’s Lilanda area has committed suicide after reportedly quarrelling with his wife.
Mr Katanga confirmed the suicide and identified the victim as Luis Tembo of Lwanga, in the Lilanda area, who was believed to have drunk poison.
Mr. Katanga said the incident occurred on Monday at 07:00hrs and that the relatives have since claimed the body for burial.
