Granddaughters set grandmother ablaze over witchcraft allegations
A 96-year-old woman from Senior Chief Nsefu in Mambwe district, Eastern Province of Zambia, was tragically burned to death by her three granddaughters, who suspected her of using witchcraft to prevent them from finding stable marriages with wealthy husbands.
The incident took place on Monday night, between 9:00 PM and 11:00 PM, at Malama Village. The suspects—two teenagers and a 29-year-old woman—are all granddaughters of the late Maria Nkhoma, who was the victim.
The three women, acting together, set the elderly woman on fire using curtains struck by lightning and grass collected from the thatched roof of a kitchen about seven meters from the scene.
Eastern Province Police Commanding Officer, Robertson Mweemba, confirmed the arrest of the suspects, identifying them as Tamara Mazyopa (29), an 18-year-old female juvenile, and Beatrice Nyoni (19), all from Chipeni Village. Investigations have revealed that Tamara Mazyopa, the eldest granddaughter, instigated the crime.
After setting the woman on fire in her three-bedroom house, the trio locked the door to prevent her from escaping. The police reported that the body has been taken to the Mambwe district hospital mortuary for a postmortem. The suspects have been arrested and are in custody.
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