POLICE in Chipata have arrested and charged a witch doctor, Ndeketeya Phiri, with the offence of practicing witchcraft after he allegedly cut off a woman’s labia.

In an interview, Monday, Eastern Province acting Police Commanding Officer Davis Simwanza narrated that Lashiwe Munshanga and her husband went to see a witchdoctor hoping to become rich but the charms failed to work.

“We received this report on 15th March, 2022. The reporter, Lanshiwe Mushanga aged 33, [of] Welela Compound, Chipata, reported that her private part was cut off by a witch doctor, Ndeketiya Phiri of the same compound. And that later she lost the pregnancy. Munshanga and her husband went to the witch doctor, they wanted money. So, the witch doctor gave them conditions. One of the conditions was to cut off a part of the labia from the victim. So the husband and the wife agreed. According to them, the witchdoctor dipped his fingers in the medicine and later inserted his fingers into the woman’s private part. To her surprise, one of her labia disappeared. So, the couple was told to wait for a couple of days and that money would start coming their way,” Simwanza narrated.

“A few days later, the couple went to the witchdoctor and told him that his charms had failed to work. The witch doctor then gave them another condition, which was to make the victim’s pregnancy disappear but the couple refused. A week later, her pregnancy disappeared mysteriously. Since then, the victim has not been feeling well.”

Simwanza said the witch doctor was released on police bond awaiting court appearance.

“This tempted the couple to report the matter to the police. The woman is Lashiwe Munshanga, she is aged 33. I can confirm that the witch doctor was arrested, charged and released on police bond waiting to appear in court. He was charged for the offence of practicing witchcraft under the witchcraft act contrary to section 5 a and b,” said Simwanza.

Meanwhile, Lashiwe narrated her ordeal in an interview with Spring TV.

“Ine ninapita kwa sing’anga. Ninapita kwa sing’anga kuja, kupeza anakamba kuti niziba vintu vinyinji, kugulisa ma yezi, kapena chilonda, kupanga chilonda pamene apa noku pezela ndrama. Kapena olo kupaya mwana wa longosi wako olo kupaya mwana wako. Olo kuchosa vumo yamene ulinayo. Ni ndrama zoka zoka, ine ninakana nati yayi, simungani chose vumo yamene nilinayo. Kulibwino neka nizi ononge, vamene ba sing’anga banachosa lepe. Ndiye mukati kati mochosa lepe, after banichosa lepe panapita one week, basi na vumo nikusoba. Nili oneko vili vonse, niliye bleeding’a but uku kwenzo choka mpempo osati yamasobela. So olo pakati pano nikali kuvutika. Ikafika 04 chabe, ine nimavutika. (I went to the witchdoctor, he told me [that] to knew how to make someone have riches by selling one’s years, or by making a wound or by killing your child or aborting, saying there is a lot of money involved. But I refused to have my pregnancy aborted, instead I suggested that he can remove my labia. A week after my labia was removed, my pregnancy disappeared. I was not bleeding, but only air was coming out from my private parts, so much air. I am still suffering up to now. When it is 04:00 hours, I suffer),” said Lashiwe.