The family of murdered Kitwe Jerabo and businessman Richard Chileshe Mbulu commonly known as Chile One has called for peace and unity to prevail during the burial set for this Wednesday in Kitwe.
Mr Mbulu was allegedly shot dead by his wife Annie Monta, 30, in their bedroom after a marital dispute in the early hours of Saturday in Riverside, Kitwe. Monta has since been charged with murder by Police in Kitwe.
Family spokesperson Kelvin Tembo said Chile One’s burial has been tentatively set for this Wednesday at Kitwe Memorial Park in Nkana East.
Mr. Tembo has admitted that emotions among mourners are expected to be high as burial approaches.
He said it was important that Chile One’s family and close friends unite during the mourning period in the best interest of his seven children and several dependants.
Speaking to journalists at the funeral house in Riverside, Kitwe, Mr. Tembo reiterated that the death of Mr. Mbulu was heartbreaking.
“So far I think we are on course with our burial arrangements. We have set Wednesday as a burial date as you may be aware this is a case of murder where we need to get a court order for the postmortem and courts are closed today (Monday) and they are only opening on Tuesday. So we can obtain the court order tomorrow Tuesday and the burial take place on Wednesday. We are burying at Kitwe Memorial Park in Nkana East. The time and burial programme will be communicated to the public soon,” Mr. Tembo said.
“The atmosphere at the funeral is so far calm and sombre as you see it but as people begin to know that burial is on emotions will begin to rise but that is always expected because as of now to some people it has not sunk in that this person is no more. But as you approach burial that is when people do realise that this person is truly gone. We expect a lot of emotions. We should be guided differently depending on the person that is emotionally affected at that particular day and I think the best that I can do is to ask the family to stick together and the public those that were close to him to just take it has it comes. There is nothing we can do. This has happened and we accept that he is gone. It is very very heartbreaking but there is nothing we can do,” he said.
“The best thing we can do as a family is to stick together. As friends we stick together, we make a plan now for the children that have remained. Remember he has left seven children. That is seven problems and those are not the only people that are affected. We have got close friends and relatives who literally depended on him. So I think what is important is how we come out of this not what we do in the meantime because if we do bad things that will affect the future of the children, it will affect the future of those that entirely depended on him as well,” Mr. Tembo said.
According to Copperbelt police commanding officer Sharon Zulu:”A Pistol 9mm Taurus by make, silver in colour, serial number THR 43651 was used. The victim sustained a bullet wound on his left side of the back where he was shot at and on the right side of his chest where the bullet came out. He was rushed to Progress private hospital and later to Kitwe Teaching Hospital where he was pronounced dead. The body of the deceased has since been deposited to Kitwe Teaching Hospital mortuary awaiting postmortem. The firearm with one empty cartilage was recovered from the scene, arrest made.”
