By Daily Revelation Editor
Two weeks ago, a murder involving Enock Simfukwe Kasengele occurred in Kabwe.
According to the police statement, this incident occurred on August 17, 2025 in which Kasengele died at Kabwe Central Hospital at about 01:10 hour after being rushed to the hospital by police officers after his detention for Acts Intended to Cause Grievous Harm, following a report by Maria Zaloumis aged 40, businesswoman commonly known as Zedfarmer who had alleged that the deceased was hired by unknown persons to pour acid on her.
Later, the public was informed that four individuals connected to the alleged murder had been picked up. They included Nathaniel Barthram aged 34, a Nigerian National and farmer alleged to be Zaloumis’ partner, male Gift Daka aged 23, a farm irrigator, male Fortune Mutangeti aged 27, a farm Irrigator and; male Daniel Chilowa aged 40 of Munyama, a farm manager.
Later, a video went viral where Zaloumis was heard asking the young man who sent him to cause harm to her. Kasengele was seen seated with hands and legs tied pleading for them to give him some relief from the shackles.
The video showing the young man shackled and being questioned by the group caused public outcry on why Zaloumis who was at the crime scene was not picked up.
A statement which seemed to suggest that Maria was not a suspect as she did not do anything wrong was released causing more public outcry. Public pressure was mounting as to why Zaloumis was not picked together with the rest when she was clearly at the scene of the interrogation. She was clearly heard questioning the late.
This angered some Zambians and stakeholders who started calling on the police to ensure justice prevailed and not look at her as the daughter of Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) chairperson Mwangala Zaloumis, but a suspect who was at the crime scene.
Due to public pressure, on August 23, 2025 – The Zambia Police Service provided an update on Simfukwe’s death and announced the arrest and detention of five suspects among them Zaloumis.
A number of observations can be made about police handling of this case thus far. What we know is that whenever a crime has been committed, everyone who was present at the scene is taken to the police for questioning or to assist with investigations. Only after screening is done does police clear those found at the scene of a crime.
In this case, Zaloumis despite being among those who were heard talking was left behind.
One wonders what the police were scared of doing the right thing immediately. Some things are straight forward that the police should not be exposing themselves in this manner.
If indeed Zaloumis did not have anything to do with the death of Simfukwe, the court will clear her either at case to answer stage or at judgement, or before the case gets to court, and if there is a realization that she had nothing do with the death of the deceased.
If other people who have been accused of murder have undergone the same procedure, what was so special about her? Why did the police fail to do the right thing immediately? Why should a straight forward matter demand so much public outcry to be acted upon by police?
This was embarrassing and has exposed the police’s unprofessionalism in the manner they conducted themselves in this case.
Going forward, we expect the police to do the right thing even with assertions from some that Maria might be exhnorated or turned into a state witness while the rest fight for their justice. We hope that won’t be the case as already seen from the beginning, she was handled with kids cloves until the public and civil society piled on the pressure to have her arrested also. .
The police should not forget that a life was lost and there is a grieving family that is looking for justice. The fact is Kasengele will never come back to life and it’s not his fault, someone or some people took his life whether intentional or not.
If they effected a citizens’ arrest, they would have done well to take the suspect to the police than beat him to cause his death.
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By Daily Revelation Editor
Two weeks ago, a murder involving Enock Simfukwe Kasengele occurred in Kabwe.
According to the police statement, this incident occurred on August 17, 2025 in which Kasengele died at Kabwe Central Hospital at about 01:10 hour after being rushed to the hospital by police officers after his detention for Acts Intended to Cause Grievous Harm, following a report by Maria Zaloumis aged 40, businesswoman commonly known as Zedfarmer who had alleged that the deceased was hired by unknown persons to pour acid on her.
Later, the public was informed that four individuals connected to the alleged murder had been picked up. They included Nathaniel Barthram aged 34, a Nigerian National and farmer alleged to be Zaloumis’ partner, male Gift Daka aged 23, a farm irrigator, male Fortune Mutangeti aged 27, a farm Irrigator and; male Daniel Chilowa aged 40 of Munyama, a farm manager.
Later, a video went viral where Zaloumis was heard asking the young man who sent him to cause harm to her. Kasengele was seen seated with hands and legs tied pleading for them to give him some relief from the shackles.
The video showing the young man shackled and being questioned by the group caused public outcry on why Zaloumis who was at the crime scene was not picked up.
A statement which seemed to suggest that Maria was not a suspect as she did not do anything wrong was released causing more public outcry. Public pressure was mounting as to why Zaloumis was not picked together with the rest when she was clearly at the scene of the interrogation. She was clearly heard questioning the late.
This angered some Zambians and stakeholders who started calling on the police to ensure justice prevailed and not look at her as the daughter of Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) chairperson Mwangala Zaloumis, but a suspect who was at the crime scene.
Due to public pressure, on August 23, 2025 – The Zambia Police Service provided an update on Simfukwe’s death and announced the arrest and detention of five suspects among them Zaloumis.
A number of observations can be made about police handling of this case thus far. What we know is that whenever a crime has been committed, everyone who was present at the scene is taken to the police for questioning or to assist with investigations. Only after screening is done does police clear those found at the scene of a crime.
In this case, Zaloumis despite being among those who were heard talking was left behind.
One wonders what the police were scared of doing the right thing immediately. Some things are straight forward that the police should not be exposing themselves in this manner.
If indeed Zaloumis did not have anything to do with the death of Simfukwe, the court will clear her either at case to answer stage or at judgement, or before the case gets to court, and if there is a realization that she had nothing do with the death of the deceased.
If other people who have been accused of murder have undergone the same procedure, what was so special about her? Why did the police fail to do the right thing immediately? Why should a straight forward matter demand so much public outcry to be acted upon by police?
This was embarrassing and has exposed the police’s unprofessionalism in the manner they conducted themselves in this case.
Going forward, we expect the police to do the right thing even with assertions from some that Maria might be exhnorated or turned into a state witness while the rest fight for their justice. We hope that won’t be the case as already seen from the beginning, she was handled with kids cloves until the public and civil society piled on the pressure to have her arrested also. .
The police should not forget that a life was lost and there is a grieving family that is looking for justice. The fact is Kasengele will never come back to life and it’s not his fault, someone or some people took his life whether intentional or not.
If they effected a citizens’ arrest, they would have done well to take the suspect to the police than beat him to cause his death.
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