The Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) is mourning the loss of former Mufulira Wanderers and national team midfielder Philemon Mulala.
The 60-year-old was mauled to death by his three dogs at his Lichtenburg home in the North West on Saturday afternoon.
The Provincial police spokesperson, Captain Sam Tselanyane, confirmed the incident in a statement released on Monday, 9 January.
He said the dogs attacked Mulala on Saturday, 7 January, 2023.
Tselanyane said, “It is alleged that on the said day during load shedding, the deceased’s wife was busy on the other side of their house when she heard the dogs barking. She didn’t bother to go and check what was wrong as their house is situated on a busy street and the dogs are frequently barking at pedestrians and vehicles passing by. Moreover, after the electricity was restored, she allegedly went inside the house looking for her husband, but could not find him.”
He added that “Upon continuing with the search, the woman saw her husband lying motionless outside in the garden, she then quickly went outside only to find that her husband was bitten by their dogs, two staffie/pitbull crossings and one unknown breed dog.
“Police and Emergency Medical Rescue Services (EMRS) were called and the man was certified dead at the scene. The SPCA were also called and the three dogs were removed from the premises.”
As a result, an inquest docket has been opened and investigation into the matter continues.
Mulala arrived in South Africa to play for Kaizer Chiefs in 1988, Pule Iniesta Jakkals shared on the NPSL, NSL, NFL, FPL & PSL ex-Pros page on Facebook. He also played for Cape Town Spurs and Lenasia Dynamos.
The association said Mulala was notably part of the 1984 Zambian squad that won the East and Central Africa Challenge cup under coach Col Brightwell Banda.
FAZ general secretary Adrian Kashala said the football fraternity had lost a gallant soldier.
“We remain with wonderful memories that the late Philemon honoured us with on the pitch. There is a lot that today’s players can learn from the deceased’s generation,” Kashala said.