Police in Chisamba district of Central Province have arrested a sales lady at Fringila Butchery for allegedly murdering her eight-year-old step daughter whom she later buried four meters from the entrance of her house.

Charity Banda is further alleged to have poured hot water on her husband, who is a truck driver, for insisting on taking her to the police in connection to his missing child.

Central province police commissioner Lillian Lombe Kamukoshi confirmed the incidents in an interview that upon being reported to police, the suspect led police to the scene of the crime where the body was exhumed and postmortem was conducted.

“Murder in which female Charity Banda, a sells lady at Fringilla Butchery in Chisamba, the same led the police to the scene of crime at her house where the remains of female juvenile Musola Chansa who was killed at the age of eight on 7th December 2016 by the above step mother and was buried in a rubbish pit in a sack after burning the body about four meters from the entrance of her house on which she even planted sweet potato leaves (kalembula) on top. Scene of crime has been processed and exhumation and postmortem conducted by Dr Mumba of Kabwe. The bones revealed a perforated (broken) skull. The remains have been handed over to the deceased’s relatives who have carried them to Lusaka in an Ukwa bag. The suspect is detained at Chisamba main police station cells,” Kamukoshi stated.

Kamukoshi stated that the suspect, who is detained in police custody, will appear in court soon.

Meanwhile Police Spokesperson Esther Mwaata Katongo stated that Banda admitted killing her step daughter.

“The accused person was initially picked for pouring hot water on her husband identified as Kennedy Chola Chansa aged 35, a welder in Mansa, whilst he was asleep and he is admitted to UTH. All started when the husband came to check on the family and inquired about his daughter whom he had not seen since December, 2016. The accused person who was a step mother to the girl claimed to have taken the girl to a boarding school in Mwachisompola area. Whenever the husband visited, she pretended the girl was in school,” stated Katongo.

“The accused only revealed after she was apprehended that she killed her step daughter by hitting her head against the wall on 07th December, 2016 at about 17:30 hours. She is detained in Police custody charged with murder and will soon be slapped with another charge after police officers establish the gravity of injuries suffered by the husband.”