TWO dreadful deaths, befitting a movie script, have gripped Rukwa and Katavi regions, leaving residents shell-shocked.
In the first incident, a 14-year old Standard VI pupil was murdered by a ‘bodaboda’ rider, who raped and stabbed her viciously on the rib cage before chopping off her private parts and disappearing with them. The murdered girl who was a pupil at Vikonge Primary School in Tanganyika District, Katavi Region, was on her way to school in the company of her 11-year old younger brother, when she met her untimely death. The brother is in Std IV at the same school.
Confirming the gruesome incident, the Katavi Regional Police Commander (RPC), Mr Damas Nyanda, said it occurred yesterday around 7:30am when the girl was one andhalf kilometres away from the school.
“When the brother and sister were walking to school, an unknown ‘bodaboda’ rider offered them a free ride to school . . . The girl was the first to get onto the motorbike and when she was now on the saddle, the rider barred the younger brother from riding before speeding off. “The horrified boy tried to chase the speeding bike but quickly gave up and watched haplessly as the motorbike disappeared from his sight while carrying the sister,” explained the RPC.
Mr Nyanda went on to say that the boy decided to continue with his journey to school, but while still on his way, he saw the same motorcycle parked near the bush along the road to school, but did not raise any suspicion. The RPC further said that the boy arrived at school and attended his lessons as usual until 2:30 pm when he went home without bothering to look for his sister. When he arrived home, his parents, according to the RPC, were shocked to see him alone and they asked him where his sister was and he told them the whole story.
“The parents, accompanid by their neighbours, went with the boy and he showed them the scene of the incident and were shocked to see the body of their slain daughter, whose chest had been stabbed several times, with private parts completely chopped off and missing,” noted the RPC. Mr Nyanda said the manhunt for the perpetrator is still on and no one has been arrested so far in connection with the incident.
The Acting Headteacher for Vikonge Primary School, Mr Gadinendi Kaseka, said that he was not aware of the incident until evening when the body of the girl was discovered. Meanwhile, in another incident, a member of Saint Cecilia Church Choir, Ms Flora Nandi (25), collapsed and died during Sunday Mass at Muze Roman Catholic Church, Sumbawanga Diocese in Rukwa Region.
The late Flora who was five-month pregnant died shortly after giving offertory causing church proceeding to be halted for some time. A similar scenario occurred six months ago when a resident of Mkanyagio Street in Mpanda Municipality, Katavi Region, Beatrict Kangu (48), died shortly after giving offering during a Sunday Mass at a Catholic Church located at Makanyagio ‘B’ Street. Eyewitnesses said that Flora died while being rushed to the nearest health facility at Muze Village along the Lake Rukwa basin in Sumbawanga District.
“While the choir was on stage, Flora went to give her offertory and returned to join other choir members and suddenly she collapsed and passed out ….” the teligious teacher, Mr Philipo Lupandasi, told the ‘Daily News’ over the phone.
Mr Lupandasi further said that members of the church choir and other believers rushed her to the nearest health facility for treatment, but she was pronounced dead on arrival. She was buried at Muze Village graveyard on Monday
