By MILDRED KATONGO –

A POLICE officer from Chingola has testified in the Kitwe High court how a Congolese witch doctor confessed murdering a 15-year-old girl.
This was after the witch doctor suspected the girl of having bewitched his ex-wife, leaving her crippled.
Detective inspector Robby Musole told the court that on November 9, last year, he recorded a warn and caution statement on the arrest of John Kimbala Fundamina ,46, for allegedly murdering the 15-year-old girl in Chingola.
Fundamina of Lubumbashi in DR Congo, between September 30 and October 30 last year, murdered a girl in Chingola by throwing her in the Kafue River.
Testifying in this matter, Mr Musole ,48, told Kitwe High Court Judge-in-charge Catherine Makungu that after he recorded a warn and caution statement, Fundamina confessed having killed the girl because she caused a lot of problems in his family.
Fundamina, while in Congo with his family was chased by some members of his family after being accused of killing other members of his family.
He said Fundamina told him that, while in Congo and practising as a witch doctor, he was given two Congolese girls by members of the community to deal with them as they were suspected of practising witchcraft.
Mr Musole said Fundamina told him how he came to Zambia with those two young girls after his family grabbed his property, chased him and accused him of killing other members of the family in Congo.
He said when he came to Zambia, he reunited with his ex-wife in Chingola who is also Congolese.
The court heard how one of the girls he brought into Zambia was accused of bewitching Fundamina’s ex-wife leaving her crippled after staying with them for a while.
Mr Musole said Fundamina decided to take the girl back to Congo adding that it was on their way that the accused allegedly murdered the girl by throwing her in the Kafue River.
“My lady it was at this point that Fundamina wanted to take back the girl, while on their way, Fundamina forced the girl to drown in the river,” he said.
He said Fundamina confessed that he killed the girl because she was the reason they were chased from Congo adding that she also bewitched his ex-wife by leaving her crippled.
Ms Justice Makungu adjourned the case to May 28, this year for trial within a trial.