25/03/2026
THE GIRL AND HER MURDEROUS MOB!
By Dr Dora Siliya
Different thoughts went through my mind when I heard about the Kalumbila mob murder. They are still running through my head but I have not been able to verbalise my shock, anger, a sense of helplessness, and of defeat.
Sometimes our brains try to make sense of a horrible situation. It trys to frame it in a way we can comprehend it better in our weakness as humans. But I seem to have failed.
How can a woman be killed by a mob in broad daylight in Zambia? And based on ' hear say witchcraft'? How can this be normal behaviour?
What is even so bewildering is that the herd leaders of the mob are young people. The woman was accussed of wizardry by someone just getting out of boyhood. How?And the girl seen smiling below in front of a deceased body captures it all: a broken national soul.
It is the reason why I can only try to make sense of the situation by asking: who is the mother of this murderous girl? Where is her father? Who are her aunties and uncles? What is her community? Has she ever been to a church?
She was not alone. Those young people behaved like a pack of wild dogs. What did the smell is the question? What was the motivation? Fear, boredom?
Who are we as a people today? Is this our identity now? Did the peace and value for human life go with Kaunda?
This mob murder did not happen over night. We see hate as a way of life in Zambia. We have preached it in newspaper headlines, in church, schools, families and work places for years.
And the witch ideology, like tribalism is deep seated in Zambian families. This is despite being a Christian nation and many intermarraiges in our country.
Something has terribly gone wrong in our families and neighbourhoods. While in govt, I saw how people still believe in witchcraft for promotions, marraige, sickness, etc even when they are educated.
Something has to give. If a culture is not progress in its way of doing things, it may also hamper political and economic growth.
Young people are not entitled to leadership. They are entitled to good parenting, good education, manners and family values to prepare them for national leadership everywhere. And there are generation to generation lessons to be learnt..
This will not happen by chance. Radicle GenZ thinking and behaviour must be cultured by families and all public institutions. Social media could be a useful tool to reshape a culture of innovative leadership in young people.
This will include continued public shaming of hate speech, tribalism, ridicule of women, s*x jokes against women, people politics instead of issues, etc.
Empowerment must also target manufacturing of small imported items for quality skills and businnesses for young people.
We all must be on the look out to stem mob murders in the future. The problem is bigger than just this child murderer and her mob. Its in our hearts as citizens and our homes.
Who are we as a people?
And again I ask, ushe uyu umwana, alikwata ba nyina?