The people of Kawama Township in Kitwe are preparing for a painful farewell. Tomorrow, a young boy will be laid to rest after a tragedy that has left the community shocked and heartbroken.
It began like any ordinary school day. Children filled their classrooms, teachers kept order, and one boy carried the responsibility of being the class monitor. He was known to take his role seriously, making sure rules were followed.
But what should have been a simple duty would cost him his life. Some of his classmates grew angry when their names were written down for making noise in class. Their punishment? Picking up papers. It seemed harmless, yet it planted a seed of anger.
When the school bell rang and lessons were over, four boys — one just 8, two aged 7, and the youngest only 6 — followed the class monitor home. Instead of laughter and games, violence broke out. Together, they turned on him in an attack no one could have imagined.
By the time it was over, the boy, only seven years old, lay fatally injured. His name was Festus Kalela. Kitwe District Commissioner Binwell Mpundu confirmed the heartbreaking details, calling the incident deeply saddening. He questioned how children so young could show such brutality.
Festus’ body now lies in the Kitwe Teaching Hospital mortuary, awaiting a postmortem. His family is left in anguish, preparing to bury a child who should have been playing, studying, and dreaming of the future.
Even more disturbing, the four boys who took his life will not face justice. Zambian law states that children under ten cannot be prosecuted, leaving the case closed before it ever begins.
And so, tomorrow, Kawama will gather to bury a class monitor who believed in doing what was right — and paid the ultimate price for it.
