CHAOS and mayhem reigned supreme in the usually peaceful village of Ndole in Nsama District of Northern Province as angry and grieving villagers decided to teach their witchcraft-practicing headman a painful lesson yesterday.
Police officers at Nsumbu Police Station were forced to utilise their Lilayi-acquired running skills to save their lives after the village mob attacked their station.
What began as a normal day with villagers going about their usual daily activities took an ugly and unexpected turn after news of the sudden death of a seemingly healthy Grade 12 pupil of Nsumbu Secondary School identified as Kalumba Sipapamu filtered through the rural community.
The villagers first line of action was to carry the body of the deceased pupil and dumped it at the Police Station after which they marched to the house of headman identified as Sanel Matuta Kalumba, fully convinced that he had used his dark powers to end the boy’s life.
Once at his house, the mob competed for space to deliver painful blows, as it handed the traditional leader the mother of all village beatings.
Lucky for the headman, word of the attack reached the ears of the police and in line their mandate of serving life, officers rushed to the scene, threw themselves in the melee and eventually managed to wrestle the badly-beaten headman from the mob.
Angry that officers had disrupted what according to them was a deserved beating session of the village “wizard”, the mob decided to teach Graphel Musamba’s men a lesson of their own.
The mob then marched to the Nsumbu Police Station and when officers noticed danger abandoned their work Station leaving the mob to vent its anger on police property.
Using stones, sticks and whatever missiles they could lay their hands own, the villagers smashed doors, windows and vehicles of the police station leaving behind a trail of destruction.
After reinforcement, officers faced the rowdy crowd and repelled it with volleys of teargas and short buttons.
Three villagers were arrested in the process and taken into detention while the battered headman is admitted to hospital fighting to grip on to the little life left in him.
By Buumba Mwitumwa
Kalemba August 2, 2023
