Jealous second wife throws her two stepchildren into river

Police officers have rescued a man, Titus Kamanga from an irate mob, who accused him of contributing to the d3ath of his two children. 

The children, aged six and two, drowned after his second wife, Mary Kachilika, threw them in Ngwerere river in Lusaka, Zambia on Wednesday, February 25, 2026. 

The children’s father was at work when it happened. 

Their mother, Fanny Kanyinji, (pictured) was outside doing house chores while the children ate inside. 

She later heard them crying and ran toward the river when she realised they were gone.

A fisherman at the scene is reported to have witnessed Kachilika throwing the children into the water and apprehended her.

Preliminary investigations suggest jealousy in the polygamous marriage may have motivated the crime. 

Kachilika, who married the father on January 10, 2025, reportedly had no children of her own while the first wife had two.

Moments after news of the drowning spread through Meanwood Kwamwena Phase 4, residents gathered near Kamanga’s residence, shouting accusations and demanding answers from the visibly shaken father.

Some members of the crowd attempted to confront Kamanga, blaming his decision to marry a second wife for the tragedy that has left the community in mourning.

Police officers arriving at the scene quickly formed a barrier around Kamanga and bundled him into a police vehicle as tempers flared among onlookers.

Witnesses said officers drove him away as sections of the crowd surged forward, threatening to attack him.

Meanwhile, search operations for the missing children continued, with Zambia Police Service officers joined by Zambia Army personnel and the Chongwe Council Fire Brigade combing the stream.

The bodies are yet to be recovered over 24 hours since the incident occurred.

Investigations into the matter are ongoing.

The 26-year-old suspect remains in custody as investigations continue.