Man slashes his grandmother to death, pricks her eyes

Aaron Mwinya (22) of Zambian origin who was raised and schooled in Botswana, appeared before Kasane Magistrate Court this past Monday for the murder of his grandmother Margret Samunzala (73) at Kavimba village.

Mwinya allegedly arrived in Kavimba a few days back from Zambia where his parents reside, to visit his grandmother with whom he once lived during his school days.

On the day he killed the granny, it is not clear what was on his mind. Those close to the matter say he sneaked inside the old woman’s house and hid. When the granny entered her house, he hacked her with a garden sickle. The young man allegedly went on to prick the old woman’s eyes, an act which has left the village utterly horrified.

“We are not sure why he pricked her eyes, we wonder if he wanted to remove her eyeballs or she died with her eyes wide open and pricking them was an attempt to close them,” a source wondered.

It is alleged that after the heinous act, Mwinya left his granny lying unconscious and fled to Kasane. On his way to Kasane, the accused is alleged to have casually told a passer-by that he killed his grandmother when asked why he appeared restless.

The police arrested him late at night that day at some bars in Kasane. Confirming investigating the incident, Police spokesperson Near Bagali said the suspect has been remanded in custody while investigations continue.

“We got a tip-off that there are suspicions a man might have killed an elderly woman in Kavimba. We proceeded to the said location and found a woman lying in a pool of blood; she was certified dead upon arrival at the hospital,” Bagali said.

He explained that the suspect will remain in custody until his next appearance in court scheduled for the 8th of October 2024.