Lusaka: Police in Chilanga have detained James Mumba, aged 21, of plot 7A/1U Water Works area in Chilanga, who was practising as a Traditional Doctor after the suspect is alleged to have given charms to three boys, one aged ten and two aged 11 on the pretext that they will have power to win any fight.
This followed after Police on December 6, 2023, at 13:00 hours, received a report from four parents that a man known as James Mumba of the Water Works area in Chilanga, who was practising as a Traditional Doctor, gave some charms to four boys aged between 10 and 13 so that they could have more strength when fighting and never lose a fight.
This occurred on December 1, 2023, at around 16:00 hours at the Water Works area in Chilanga.
Brief facts of the matter are that on November 30, 2023, around 16:00 hours, the suspect engaged the four boys at his house to remove grass in his yard and never agreed on the amount to pay them. After the boys did the work, the suspect told the boys to come to his house the following day for payments.
The following day, on December 1, 2023, at around 16:00 hours, when the boys went to get their money, the suspect told them that he will not give them money but power to use when fighting. He instructed the boys to go to the grave yard and pick some soil from a fresh grave and come with a shoelace each.
The boys did that, and the Traditional Doctor made some charms by boiling the soil, shoelaces and the head of a snake. Then he put the liquid charm in three bottles and gave the boys instructions that in the morning, they should drink a bit of it and when bathing should pour in bathing water for five days.
The boys carried the instructions for two days then later stopped. One of the parents was informed by his son, aged 10, over the issue. Then he immediately got three other boys, two aged 11 and another aged 13. He later also engaged the other parents and reported the matter to police.
Police visited the scene of Crime and recovered some of the charms which will be taken to the food and drug Laboratory at University Teaching Hospital for a toxicology examination, while the children were taken to the Clinic for a Medical checkup.
Investigations have revealed that a boy aged 13 was not given the charms, for he went late and was asked to go the following day. Police are investigating the matter.