A 15-year-old herdboy in Ntcheu on Sunday died of head injuries he sustained during a fight.
The fight started as a mere game with a fellow herdboy, 14, at the grazing field, according to police.
Ntcheu Police Station spokesperson Hastings Chigalu said the two minors left school and secured jobs as herdboys for different farmers and, as part of entertainment at the fields, they used to engage in mock fights or provoke their animals to fight for supremacy.
He said on Friday their game turned ugly when one of them used an object to hit the other instead of hands and legs, prompting the other to retaliate with an object as well.
“The deceased hit the suspect with a belt and in anger, the suspect picked a stick and hit him on the forehead. When they went back home, the deceased reported to his employer and parents and the following day his head swelled,” said Chigalu.
According to Chigalu the boy was taken to Bwanje Health Centre where he was referred to Balaka District Hospital where he died.
The suspect, who is in police custody, will answer murder charges. He comes from Sande Village while the deceased came from Kaporo Village, both in Traditional Authority Ganya in Ntcheu.
