Family protests after Kafwaya’s clothes, personal effects go missing in Maina Soko Mortuary
The family of slain former Lunte Member of Parliament Mutotwe Kafwaya has protested the disappearance of some of his personal effects which include clothes he wore on the day he was shot and killed in Lusaka.
Family representative Mukupa Busuma said relatives had earlier agreed with the government through the secretary to cabinet Patrick Kangwa that the clothes Kafwaya wore on the fateful date, including all his personal effects needed to be recovered by the family before he was put to rest.
But when the family arrived at Maina Soko Medical Centre around 06:00 hours to prepare for the postmortem as agreed with the Government, they were shocked to find Kafwaya’s body naked with his clothes missing.
Situated in Lusaka, Maina Soko Medical Centre is a referral military hospital under the Ministry of Defence managed by the Zambia Defence Force and is one of the most guarded military installations in the country.
Busuma told Hot FM’s Mercy K. Chilefwaya that it is traditionally important for the family to recover the clothes Kafwaya was wearing when he was shot as well as his personal belongings.
Kafwaya was fatally shot during a raid by State security forces on September 14, the day after this year’s general election at a house linked to opposition leader Brian Mundubile.
His body was later found at Maina Soko Medical Centre five days after the government, through information permanent secretary Thabo Kawana, Defence permanent secretary Maambo Haamaundu and permanent secretary for Home Affairs Dickson Matembo vehemently and repeatedly denying the former transport minister had been fatally wounded in the raid the Police claimed was an operation to thwart an insurrection.
He said the family is engaging the Secretary to the Cabinet, Patrick Kangwa, who is at Maina Soko, and has been assured that someone will be assigned to explain the whereabouts of the missing items.
The government offered to accord Kafwaya a funeral and burial with honours applicable to a former Cabinet Minister, but the family respectfully declined the offer, opting to hold a private funeral.
Efforts by Hot FM News to obtain a comment from Kangwa on Kafwaya’s missing clothes and personal belongings proved futile by broadcast time.
A farewell service for Kafwaya was earlier scheduled for 14:00 hours at Tabernacle of David Assembly City Mission Church, along Given Lubinda Road, off Tokyo Way but has been indefinitely postponed