Two months on, family yet to bury relative

Mbeya. For two months, a family based in Mbeya has objected to the burial of a relative known as Frank Kapange demanding to be fully informed of the circumstances leading to his death.

The family is accusing police of killing Kapange who was a businessman at Sido Trading Centre in Mbeya City.

Since June 4, the body of the deceased has been preserved at the Mbeya Zonal Referral Hospital’s morgue as relatives demand an investigation into how he died. Relatives have asked the Mbeya Resident Magistrate Court to grant a permit for a thorough investigation by independent party to be conducted.

The deceased’s uncle, Mr Julius Kapange told The Citizen that the family were suspicous of circumstances that led to the death of their relative. They believe he died in the hands of the police.

The uncle, is relying on reports of the deceased’s friends who said that they were with him at Kabwe Bus Terminal in the evening of the fateful day, June 4.

He said, Frank (the deceased) wasn’t seen until the following day when his friends decided to report him missing to the Mwanjelwa Police Station. They said his mobile phone wasn’t picking up all the time.

However, they later decided to go to the main police station after they failed to win the cooperation of Mwanjelwa police officers.

“When they arrived at the police station, they met a police woman, they pulled out a picture of the deceased, asking for the whereabouts of their colleague. That was when the policewoman revealed that he (Frank) had died. She said the police took his body from the police station to the mortuary for preservation,” narrates the uncle. He says the deceased’s friends went to Mbeya Referral Hospital where they found another person who informed them that police had taken the deceased’s body.

As preparations for burial were being made, a group of traders who claimed they were working with the deceased, arrived at the home where burial processes were taking place, narrated the uncle.

They asked that burial shouldn’t take place until killers were identified and arrested.

Amid the controversy, one of the deceased’s relatives, who is a lawyer, intervened and asked that legal procedures be followed in seeking justice because the death had occurred under circumstances that should be explained.

Later, they resolved to file a case through their lawyer, Mr la Moris Mwamwenda asking the court in Mbeya to allow investigation into what actually caused the death of their relative.

“We believe he died in the hands of the police. That day when his friends went to the police station to search for him, one officer asked them if they were the ones calling Frank. When the officer was told ‘Yes’, another officer said Frank’s phone (the deceased’s) was with another police officer. But, the mobile phone was not given to us, to this day. We are aware our relative had money in his pocket,’’ he narrated.

The court in Mbeya has confirmed that it received the charge sheet regarding the case and preliminary steps have been taken. The case is set for mention tomorrow before Resident Magistrate Michael Mteite.

When reached for comment, Mbeya Regional Police Commander Ulrich Matei said the incident happened when he wasn’t in the region but he promised to make follow up.

The Chief Nursing Officer of Mbeya Referral Hospital, Mr Petro Seme, confirmed that the body of the deceased was still being preserved in the hospital’s mortuary.