Police in Lusaka have detained a 44-year-old woman, Ruth Mwanza, of ZAF Twin Palm Base, in connection with a murder case that was initially reported as assault occasioning actual bodily harm. According to police, the incident occurred on January 30, 2026, when officers received a report of assault around 03:00 hours from Richard Mweemba, aged 49, of Lilayi Estates. He reported on behalf of his niece, Maureen Mweemba, aged 29, of ZAF Twin Palm, who has since died from her injuries.
In a statement issued in Lusaka on Monday, Police Spokesperson, Godfrey Chilabi, said the deceased and the suspect were neighbours. Preliminary investigations revealed that on the day of the incident, the suspect allegedly left her residence around 17:00 hours with her two children and returned at 22:00 hours, only to find her house locked. “After forcing the door open, she allegedly found her husband in the company of the now-deceased inside their matrimonial home.
It is alleged that the suspect forcibly dragged the victim outside the house and assaulted her,” Chilabi said. He added that the victim was rushed to a clinic within ZAF Twin Palm Base and later referred to Maina Soko Medical Centre, where she was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and placed on life support. Mweemba sadly succumbed to her injuries on January 31, 2026, while receiving treatment at Maina Soko Medical Centre, where her body is currently lying awaiting postmortem examination.
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“The suspect remains in police custody as investigations continue, with the motive yet to be established,” Chilabi said. He further stated that following the victim’s death, the case has been reclassified from assault to murder, and the Police Service will provide additional updates as investigations progress. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express permission from ZAMBIA MONITOR.
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