Police Launch Manhunt Over Murder of 94-Year-Old Man in Chavuma, Another Arrested for Suicide Threat in Solwezi
By Jotham Likomeno,
Police in North-Western Province have launched a manhunt for a young boy and his family following the alleged murder of a 94-year-old man in Chavuma District, while in a separate incident, a man in Solwezi has been apprehended for attempting suicide.
In a statement made available to Mafken News, North-Western Province Police Commissioner and Division Commanding Officer Brighton Siwale said the suspect aged between 13 and 15, of Chavuma District, is alleged to have stabbed to death Kaumba Chikonde, aged 94, of the same district.
Mr. Siwale said the matter was reported to Chavuma Police Station, indicating that the incident occurred on February 7, 2026. The suspect allegedly attacked the deceased with a knife, stabbing him on the left side of the chest and ribs, after accusing him of being responsible for his mother’s illness, reportedly swollen legs, through witchcraft.
He stated that the suspect and his entire family are currently on the run, and police have since launched a manhunt to apprehend them.
In a separate incident, Chipango Chitumbo, aged 29, of Mumbeji area in Kalumbila District, was arrested on February 8, 2026, following a report by his father-in-law Chipimo Jones, aged 51, of Solwezi District.
Police said Chitumbo allegedly sent a WhatsApp audio message to a family group, threatening to commit suicide by jumping into the river at Solwezi Bridge. He was later found alive and subsequently detained for conduct likely to cause a breach of peace.
Meanwhile, Chavuma District Commissioner Geoffrey Kasonda, in a phone interview with Mafken News, condemned the murder and urged residents and the general public not to take the law into their own hands, but to allow the legal system to address disputes and allegations.
