Kitwe mother loses 4 family members in a week, as hubby burns them alive
TRAGEDY upon tragedy lives to be the story of a Kitwe’s Kawama Township family, who have held four different funerals of family members in just one week.
The innocent lives were lost following a selfish act of their father, Albert Mubanga who burnt his family of nine alive while they were sleeping at night.
Mubanga’s anger erupted after his former wife, Beauty Mambwe collected rental money from two shops that the two own and used it alone.
The couple had been married for a long time until their marriage started shaking in 2020, leading to their divorce last month at the Garnetone Local Court.
The court ruled that the two shops at Kamitondo market be shared equally and their matrimonial home be sold and properties shared.
But this judgement did not sit well with Mubanga who appealed against it in the Kitwe Subordinate court and hearing date was set for Tuesday this week, but could not take place as he is currently on the run.
Despite the divorce, the couple continued staying together as they were looking for a customer to buy the house. So when Mubanga learnt that Mambwe collected the rentals for the couples’ two shops and used the money of which Mubanga became annoyed and resorted to extreme measures.
As the family was sleeping on July 17, last month, Mubanga sneaked out of bed and lit fire to the entire house using a flammable substance, burning his entire family of nine, putting their lives at risk over a k2,500.
The resulting fire consumed everything in its way including the life of a one year, nine months baby who died immediately as she suffered serious body burns.
The rest of the remaining nine family members, including his wife were rushed to Kitwe Teaching Hospital as they suffered burns, while Mubanga went on Police run.
The matter was then reported to Mindolo Police Station and was confirmed by Copperbelt Police Commanding Officer, Peacewell Mweemba.
But barely two days after the death of the baby, another four year old baby succumbed to the burns and died on July 19 and buried the next day.
Before the hospital admitted family could even finish mourning the two souls, mother to one of the deceased babies, Memory Mwale, aged 24 also died in hospital, two days after her daughter’s burial on July 23 and was buried on July 25th.
The fourth death was of 18 year-old Harriet Chitutu who died on July 25 and was buried on July 26 leaving only five surviving family members out of the nine that were burnt.
All these four deaths were recorded while the other five members were still in hospital admission, meaning Mambwe was not even given a chance to burry them, as she was also in hospital.
She and the other four surviving members were discharged on Monday this week.
She stated that she is currently in shock, following the devastating event.
“Right now, she is in shock and just trying to figure out what to do and how she will survive with her remaining children,” said her niece, Clara Chibangu Simbeye.
Simbeye further told Kalemba that since the arson, the family has not heard from Mubanga who has shown no remorse over the tragedy he caused.
“Up to now, we have not heard anything from the man (Mubanga) or his family, they are just quiet,” said Simbeye.
The family is however appealing for any help from the general public to help them during the trying moment.
