Jealous Stepmother Throws Children into River; Father Rescued by Police

Two children, aged six and two, drowned in the Ngwerere River on Wednesday after their stepmother reportedly threw them into the water, authorities said.

The children’s father, Titus Kamanga, was at work when the incident occurred, while their mother, Fanny Kanyinji, was outside doing household chores. She discovered the children missing after hearing them cry and rushed toward the river.

A fisherman at the scene reportedly witnessed the stepmother, 26-year-old Mary Kachilika, push the children into the river and intervened to stop her. Early investigations suggest that jealousy in the polygamous household may have motivated the act, as Kachilika has no children of her own while the first wife has two. Kachilika married Kamanga on January 10, 2025.

News of the tragedy quickly spread through the community of Meanwood Kwamwena Phase 4. Residents gathered near the family home, some blaming Kamanga for taking a second wife. Police intervened promptly, rescuing the visibly shaken father and escorting him to safety as tensions rose.

Search operations involving the Zambia Police Service, the Zambia Army, and the Chongwe Council Fire Brigade have continued for more than 24 hours, but the children’s bodies have yet to be recovered.

Kachilika remains in police custody, and investigations into the incident are ongoing.