Gwembe boy, 11, mauled by crocodile
By a Correspondent
A CROCODILE in Lake Kariba has attacked and killed an 11-year-old boy from Namazuma Fishing Camp in Gwembe District of Southern Province.
The boy, identified as James Manyepa of Chipepo Village, fell into the lake’s waters before being attacked by the reptile, resulting in his death.
“The victim, James Manyepa, fell into the lake at around 17:00 hours on 15 February 2026 whilst he was engaging in fishing activities,” police sources said.
His grandfather, 64-year-old Golden Michelo, confirmed the attack and death of Manyepa.
Michelo said he had gone fishing using a drag net when his grandson joined him along with three other younger siblings.
“During the fishing activity, James fell into the water and was immediately attacked by a crocodile,” he said.
Michelo narrated that tried to rescue his grandson by throwing objects at the crocodile, but the reptile dragged the boy into deeper waters before swimming away.
He said other fishermen in the area launched a search, which led to the recovery of the boy’s remains the following day.
Southern Province Commissioner of Police Moono Namalongo confirmed that the deceased sustained injuries consistent with a crocodile attack.
“The body was retrieved on Monday, the 16 February 2026, at around 10:00 hours. There was no foul play. The family and community buried the victim before reporting the matter to the police,” he said.
Namalongo said police officers from the Marine Unit and the Department of National Parks and Wildlife (DNPW) visited the scene, located the grave and marked it for possible exhumation to facilitate a postmortem examination to establish the exact cause of death.
