LINDA SOKO TEMBO writes
A MAN of Kafue District in Mtendere compound has died after he was attacked by a hippo in the Kafue River at an area called Manyonyo.
One of the witnesses Calab Sikoongo told the Sun the devastating story of how the victim Rabani Kayipila commonly known as Joe Maiko died as he was preparing his nets in the water so that he could catch some fish.
MR SIKOONGO: What happened was that Mr Joe left his home on JUNE 21 around 08:00 hours and went to an area called Manyonyo to fish.
When he reached the area he started casting the nets and there was also a boat belonging to a white person who usually parks there.
It’s also the same area where hippos like to sleep and so while he was casting the nets in water there was a very strong wave which was making the boat to make a lot of noise.
The noise by the boat made the hippo angry and it went to hit the boat directly and the sad part was that the victim was near the boat and he fell in the river.
Mr Joe was wearing those old jeans called top and down and the top had buttons which coiled in the net as he was trying to free himself from the nets so that he could swim to where the boat was.
The hippo went to attack the victim and he was bitten on his neck and sustained a deep cut on the throat almost cutting off the head and that is how he died.
The people who were looking for him after the incident found him coiled in the nets that he had been casting. It’s sad that he died in such a manner. He had a wife with four children. The incident happened around 13:00hours.
Mr Sikoonga appealed to government to consider killing some of the hippos because people’s lives were not safe because that was not the first life that a life had been lost.
He said about two weeks ago three people died after they were attacked by a hippo and that only two had been found but the third person was still missing
Meanwhile, Sabushale ward councilor Webby Chishimba was saddened by the death and that it was the fourth death in a space of two weeks after three people died after they were attacked by hippos.
