Zambia: Four Isoka siblings have been arrested in connection with the murder of their 74-year-old father whom they accused of practicing witchcraft.
The four have been arrested with two others from the same village in connection with the shooting and hacking of the old man while he was herding his cattle.
Muchinga Province Police Commissioner Lizzie Machina has confirmed the development.
She has identified those arrested as Menson Kaseye, 55, and Geoffrey Simfukwe, 45, as suspected hired killers while others are Harrison Kauka, 29, Elias Kauka, 38, Sister Kauka, 35, and Eunice Kauka, 33 the biological children to the now deceased.
“Brief facts are that, Aston Kauka was a Village Headman and he was accused of practicing witchcraft by his own children. Sometime last year he reported a case of conspiracy to murder at Kanyala Police Post and the suspects were some of his children,” Ms. Machina stated.
She has explained that on 29th May, 2021 at around 11:00 hrs, the now deceased left home alone and took his herd of cattle for grazing.
”At around 14:00 hrs, his wife sent one of their grandsons to go and deliver some packed lunch to him. Surprisingly, the grandson only found the herd of cattle grazing alone while his grandfather was nowhere to be seen. Hence he rushed back home and informed his grandmother that he did not find his grandfather,” she said.
Ms. Machina said the move prompted relatives to the deceased and some concerned members of the village to conduct a search in the bush where they believed Mr Kauka had taken his herd of cattle for grazing.
She added that the search continued until yesterday, May 30, 2021 at around 07:00 hrs when the deceased’s body was found lying facing upwards with gunshot wounds on his hands and upper back.
