The Tanzania Police Force in Mbeya Region is holding three people in connection with the death of a 70-year-old woman, Mary Mwasile, a resident of Isongole Village in Mbeya District, in an incident suspected to be driven by witchcraft-related beliefs.
Mbeya Regional Police Commander, Benjamin Kuzaga, confirmed the arrests, naming the suspects as Yella Mboya (27), a resident of Tunduma in Songwe Region, Furaha Mboya (25), and Elisa Mboma (43), both from Isongole Village.
He said the incident occurred on June 28, 2026, at around 4:00 a.m. in Isongole Village, Santilya Ward, Isangati Division, where the victim was found dead inside her house with a stab wound on the neck inflicted with a sharp object.
According to the police, a special investigation team was deployed immediately after the body was discovered, leading to the arrest of the three suspects as inquiries continue to establish the full circumstances surrounding the killing.
Preliminary findings indicate that the motive of the attack is linked to witchcraft beliefs, although police have stressed that investigations are still ongoing and the suspects will be taken to court once the process is completed.
In a separate development, police in Mbeya, working jointly with the Tanzania Wildlife Management Authority (TAWA), have arrested three other individuals in Chunya District after they were found in possession of an unlicensed homemade firearm known as a gobole.
The suspects, Shughuli Halezya (50), Shabani Matulu (36), and Baraka Mwaluswaswa (26), all residents of Lualaje, were arrested on June 30, 2026, during a security operation conducted in Bitimanyanga Village, Mafyeko Ward.
Commander Kuzaga said the police recorded a total of 239 suspects arrested in Mbeya Region during June 2026 alone, linked to various offences including murder, assault, rape, illegal possession of firearms, and theft.
He added that some of the cases have already been forwarded to court after completion of investigations, while others remain under active probe.
He further urged residents to avoid acts of superstition and instead report disputes or suspicions to relevant authorities, warning that the police will not tolerate acts of mob justice or individuals taking the law into their own hands.
