Mansa | September 17, 2026 – The High Court sitting at Mansa has sentenced an unregistered traditional practitioner to two years imprisonment with hard labour and the widow of a 76-year-old man to three months imprisonment after a traditional steam treatment ended in tragedy.

Lewis Mwila, an unregistered practitioner, and Chishimba Nkandu, wife to the late Danny Makanta, were convicted on a joint count of Manslaughter contrary to Section 199 of the Penal Code, Chapter 87 of the Laws of Zambia. Both pleaded guilty.

The facts before the Court were sobering.

Mr. Makanta, who was hypertensive, had sought medical care at Mufwaya Rural Health Centre. He was later referred to Kawambwa District Hospital and subsequently to Mansa General Hospital, where he was admitted for several weeks.

While still admitted, Nkandu removed her husband from Mansa General Hospital without medical discharge or the knowledge of his attending clinicians, with the intention of seeking traditional intervention.

On July 30, 2025, she called Mwila to their home in Kawambwa. Mwila, who was not registered to practise as a traditional health practitioner, prepared a herbal steam treatment using a local plant known as Musembaisha. He boiled the herb and placed the ailing 76-year-old under a blanket over the steaming pot.

During the procedure, Nkandu threw a stone into the pot of boiling water. The water erupted, splashing the deceased on the face and inflicting severe burns. Mwila then left the premises.

At about 01:00 on July 31, 2025, Danny Makanta died at his home.

A post-mortem examination conducted on August 2, 2025 by a Government Medical Doctor at Kawambwa District Hospital established the cause of death as asphyxiation secondary to upper airway swelling due to inhalation burns.

The two were apprehended and detained at Kawambwa Police Station. Investigations were led by Detective Constable Mukosha. Both accused gave free and voluntary warn-and-caution statements recorded in Bemba, admitting to the offence.

The case was presided over by the Honourable Mr. Justice Ikechukwu Iduma, Judge in Charge, Mansa High Court.

In passing sentence, the Court took into account that both convicts were first offenders who had pleaded guilty and, therefore, did not waste the Court’s time.

In respect of Nkandu, the Court also weighed her conduct in facilitating unregulated treatment for her frail and elderly husband who was still under formal medical care.

The State was represented by Senior State Advocate Brighton Siafwa, State Advocate Colin Kabalata, State Advocate Wilson Widson Mwale and Public Prosecutor Bobo Chanda.

This case is a stark reminder of the grave and irreversible consequences that can follow when seriously ill patients are removed from professional medical care and subjected to unsafe practices by unregistered persons.

The National Prosecution Authority remains firmly committed to securing justice for victims of unlawful loss of life and to ensuring that every matter brought before the courts is prosecuted diligently, fairly and in accordance with the law.