KATIMA MULILO – A 25-year-old man, who is facing a murder charge for killing his biological father, was denied bail when he appeared in the Katima Mulilo magistrate court yesterday. 

The State alleges Munembo Sibonena hit his father with a pounding stick at the back of his head on Tuesday at Wabona village in Sibbinda area of the Zambezi region, whom he accused of witchcraft. 

The victim, identified as 59-year-old Sibonena Lukaezi, was rushed to the Katima Mulilo hospital, where he died Wednesday morning. 

During his first appearance before magistrate Clara Mwilima, the visibly confused Sibonena could not give an answer to whether he would seek legal representation or conduct his own defence. 

He simply responded, “I killed my father”. 

When it was explained to him that the time for the plea was still to follow but that he first had to inform the court how he wished to proceed with the case, he maintained his confession plea. 

It was established in court that he suffers from epilepsy and that there are allegations he has a mental illness. 

The case was postponed to 13 March for further investigations and for a medical report to be compiled for a decision to be made on whether he has to be sent for medical evaluation. 

Cynthia Matiti represented the State. 

In a separate incident, police in the Zambezi region are investigating a murder case after a 56-year-old man from Kabungo village in the Chincimane area, identified as John Zambwe, died in the Katima Mulilo hospital on Wednesday, after being beaten by five family members. 

According to Zambezi Police spokesperson Kenneth Simbwaye, the victim attacked his biological sister, 45-year-old Miyaze Zambwe, by stabbing her on both arms five times. 

The five family members came to the rescue of Miyaze by beating Zambwe. 

Miyaze was later taken to the local clinic, where she was treated for her wounds and released. 

She later opened a case of attempted murder against her brother before his demise. 

No arrests have been made, and the case was forwarded to the office of the prosecutor general for a decision on whether to prosecute. 

However, according to Simbwaye, the victim had a history of violence, and he had been in and out of prison. 

“He was in prison for murder after he was sentenced in 2003, and he was released only in 2014. He was also having a pending case of malicious damage to property, which he allegedly committed in 2022, and it is also alleged that he had smoked marijuana when he attacked the sister,” said Simbwaye.