Herbalist, village head arrested over sexual intercourse with minor in Chikwawa

Ngabu Police in Chikwawa District have arrested a traditional healer and a village headwoman for allegedly having sexual intercourse with a minor and aiding another person to have sexual intercourse with a minor, respectively.

According to Sergeant Dickson Matemba, Chikwawa Police Public Relations Officer, suspects have been identified as Neva Chinamulungu, 48, of Tsabeta Village who is a traditional doctor and Maria Fyson 35, of Mponya Village who is village headwoman Mponya both from Traditional Authority Ngabu in the district.

The village head was fired from her position in 2022 for some reasons and in August 2025 she went to the herbalist to seek charms to be reinstated. Chinamulungu instructed her to bring him a young girl to have sex with as a ritual. The village head did as instructed and was allegedly reinstated.

However, on 28 September, the herbalist went back to his customer (the chief) and told her that he wanted to perform another ritual to strengthen the chieftaincy and demanded more sex with the girl, and was immediately granted his wish and eventually slept with a 12-year-old girl.

The victim reported her ordeal to her to parents who later reported the same to Ngabu Police Post which referred the victim to Ngabu Rural Hospital for examinations.

The results confirmed that the young girl was defiled, leading to the duo’s arrest.

The two will appear in Makande Magistrate court and are being remanded at Chikwawa Prison.

Meanwhile, police in the district have condemned the act and warned that the law shall take its course on anyone violating children’s rights.