LUSAKA High Court judge Wilfred Muma has ordered that a maid and her daughter be detained at the President’s pleasure for killing six family members.
And judge Muma has entered a verdict of not guilty against Jennifer Mwanza Chilimungula and Delia Mwanza by reason of insanity and acquitted Susan Chimfwembe who was jointly charged with them.
The trio was arrested in 2016 on six counts of murder.
Delia was at the time a grade eight pupil.
It was alleged that the trio jointly and whilst acting together between July 28, 2016 and August 1, 2016 in Lusaka murdered Albert Mwanza, Brian Banda, Martha Beauty Mwanza, Amos Banda, Leo Mwanza and Blessings Mwanza. Albert Mwanza, who was Jennifer’s husband, was killed together with their children.
The bodies with missing heads of adults and juveniles were discovered in an unfinished structure in Chalala residential area in August 2016.
In the same unfinished building, a cooked head of a baby was discovered in a pot.
It was heard that before killing the six, Jennifer whom a doctor confirmed to have been a psychotic at the time of committing the crime and a prophetess, had made a statement or pronouncement that she wanted all the children in the house to be killed so that they can resurrect.
A witness had narrated that she heard the children screaming from the room where they had slept with their mother, Jennifer, and Chimfwembe and when she peeped, she saw Jennifer sitting on top of three children before killing them.
When Jennifer’s husband asked about the whereabouts of the children, he was told that they had gone playing.
Jennifer’s husband insisted to see the children and it was at this point that she attacked him and asked Delia to fetch a knife and hoe which she used to kill him.
In his judgement, judge Muma said he had no reason to doubt evidence from the witnesses who lived in the same house with Jennifer.
Judge Muma said it was also true from the doctor’s findings that Jennifer has a major psychotic disorder and it was the opinion of the doctor that she was labouring under the influence of the disorder at the time of the commission of the offence.
He said Jennifer was not expected to be fit to take plea, stand trial and follow proceedings.
In respect of Delia, judge Muma held that according to the observation of the doctor, she was not aware of the wrongness of the act due to the shared psychotic disorder.
He entered a verdict of not guilty against Jennifer and Delia and ordered that they be detained at the President’s Pleasure.
