Cops hunt ritual killers

POLICE have stepped up efforts to arrest perpetrators of ritualistic killings, which are on the increase.
Acting police spokesperson Esther Katongo said police officers were working round the clock to stop the ritual killings.
In recent weeks, body parts of various victims, including a teenage girl from Kapiri Mposhi, an albino woman of Lundazi in Eastern Province and two other victims in Kitwe were found missing and their bodies dumped in secluded places.
Vice-President Inonge Wina on Tuesday issued a statement urging the law-enforcement wings to combine efforts and arrest the killers.
Ms Katongo on the other hand has appealed for participation of members of the public to help arrest the killers.
“We have realised that this is serious and we are spending sleepless nights to ensure that the culprits are brought to book,” she said.
“We also realise that the arrest of these people can only be possible with the help of the general public because these criminals live in our communities and there is need to report them.”
Meanwhile, the Traditional Healers Practitioners Association of Zambia (THPAZ) has disassociated itself from ritual killings.
THPAZ spokesperson Simon Nyoni said members were not allowed to prescribe body parts as traditional medicine.
“We believe that this can only be either witchcraft or satanism because there is no way someone can kill a person in order to get some parts for medicine, let alone our members. We condemn these evil acts and we are ready to help in any way possible to bring such killings to an end,” Dr Nyoni said.

TimesofZambia