Witchdoctor rapes, murders client …steals her vehicle, removes number plate

NOEL IYOMBWA writes

@SunZambian

WITCHDOCTORS are regarded as helpers whom desperate people run to for solutions to their problems, but one of them is alleged to have raped and murdered a woman who was seeking his services in unclear circumstances in Lusaka’s Nine Miles area.

Barely weeks ago another witchdoctor conned poor relatives of a girl who was murdered in Kalundu, Lusaka West, out of their money by falsely promising to find her killers.

In the latest case the foreign witchdoctor, identified as Abraham Hussen Phiri, is reported to have lured the unsuspecting client, 42-year-old Clare Namutenda, a wife of a senior military officer, to the graveyard using her own motor vehicle to perform some ritual.

But when they arrived he allegedly raped her, bludgeoned her to death, gouged one of her eyes and sped away with her motor vehicle which they had used to go to the graveyard.

Lured to graveyard

Residents said the woman had been a regular client of the witchdoctor and the two seemed to have developed a close relationship.

But last Saturday the healer allegedly cajoled her to drive to Malaila cemetery with him to the cemetery in her car purportedly to perform a ritual in Kabangwe area.

Not knowing what might have been in the witchdoctor’s mind the woman obediently drove to the graveyard.

The healer allegedly later told police that he was more interested in his client’s vehicle than her problem.

Saviour turns killer

However, her ‘saviour’ raped her, brutally killed her and drove away with her car leaving her bloody, lifeless body behind.

The witchdoctor is now detained at Godfrey Miyanda Police Post to help police with investigations into the murder.

A police officer found at the scene said the victim was found naked and that it was believed that she was raped before she was murdered.

Eye removed

“She suffered head injuries and had one of the eye was removed. The suspect told us that the motive behind the murder was to steal her vehicle,” he said.

The witchdoctor, who is yet to be identified but is believed to be from Malawi, is reported to have been helped by a man identified as Derrick Tembo, one of his Zambian helpers who lives in Kabangwe near Zamseed turnoff at Nine Miles.

Tembo’s family said the witchdoctor recently recruited him.

Missing

Police spokesperson Esther Katongo said in statement yesterday a report of a missing person had been made at Chilenje Police Station Saturday at 21:00 hours by a Zambia National Service colonel, Maybin Mundengo, aged 45 of Chalala in

Told husband she was going for prayers

Lusaka that his wife, Clare Namutenda, aged 42, had been missing since Friday.

Ms Mutenda had told him that she was going to attend night prayers at an unknown church. 

Police launched investigations during which two suspects, a foreign traditional healer of Kabangwe, and his colleague, a Zambian were arrested.

Ms Katongo identified the suspects as Abraham Hussen Phiri, aged 28, and Saviour Loze, also aged 28 years.

Vehicle recovered

She said a Toyota Vanguard car, which was being driven by the same missing person, was recovered from Phiri and Loze, who has also been detained.

The witchdoctor had removed the number plates from the car.

Ms Katongo said Ms Namutenda’s body was found in Kabangwe area at a graveyard with deep cuts on the fore head.

The Sun will provide more details as the story unravels.