A six-year-old girl, Odetta Masamba, from Mtalika Village, Tradition Authority (TA) Chitera in Chiradzulu died on Sunday after drinking a concoction which was prepared to remove witchcraft from her.

Police Detective, Inspector Dennis Mutala, confirmed the development on Monday saying some people in the village suspected that the child practiced witchcraft.

He said on Sunday a brother in-law to the deceased’s mother took advantage of the absence of people at home and prepared the concoction and gave it to three children to drink.

“After drinking the concoction, the deceased started vomiting and was rushed to Mbulumbuzi Health Centre where she died at while receiving treatment,” Mutala said, adding that the body was taken to Likhula village for burial.

He said other people informed the police at Namadzi Police Post about the development and the police rushed to collect the body from the health center and referred it to Chiradzulu District Hospital for postmortem.

Mutala added that the other two aged four and 11 years were referred to Chiradzulu District Hospital for treatment.

According to Mutala, results of postmortem are not yet out and the concoctions were about to be sent to Bwemba Research Station for toxicology.

Mutala further said the man who prepared the concotion only known as Perenje is currently at large.

“The man is only known as Perenje from Namitambo in the district escorted the people at the Health Centre, but after seeing that the child died, he excused himself to go and buy airtime to inform relatives and never returned,” the police detective added.

Meanwhile police have condemned the act saying it is barbaric.
The condition of the two surviving children is improving, according to police.