OVER 40 members of the United Church of Zambia (UCZ) in Mwense district have been admitted to Kapamba rural health centre after drinking a suspected poisonous munkoyo drink. The 43 UCZ members were among the 150 who had gone to attend a church gathering within the district. Mwense District Commissioner Geoffrey Chipampata confirmed in an interview that the 43 fell sick immediately after taking the traditionally brewed nonalcoholic drink
Mr Chipampata said after taking the drink, the victims suffered abdominal pains, diarrhoea and vomiting and were rushed to the nearby Kapamba rural health centre.
He said the rapid response the health team led by district health director Mackford Chipili at the health facility helped to stabilise the condition of the victims.
Mr Chipampata has since cautioned members of the public to be wary of roots they use to make the refreshment drink to prevent unintentional poisoning.
“There is need for members of the public to be cautious of the roots they use to make munkoyo to avoid these incidents,” he said.
Mr Chipampata said using the wrong roots to make munkoyo drink can cause deaths.
He appreciated the health personnel in the district for the quick response and implored the team to continue monitoring the situation so that no life is lost.
Mr Chipampata said the health department has since collected samples of the drink for chemical analysis and will submit it to the food and drugs laboratory.
And NANCY SIAME reports in Lusaka that a 70-year-old headman of Chama district has committed suicide by hanging himself after being accused of practising witchcraft.
Muchinga Province Commissioner of Police Joel Njase said in a statement yesterday that the man, Zondani Kango, took his life on Sunday around 11:00 hours in Chinkoli village, in Chief Chibale’s area.
“The community in his village called him a wizard, and due to stigma and ridicule of this suspicion, he quietly sneaked out of the village into the bush and committed suicide,” he said.
He said the body was discovered on Monday around 16:00 hours in the bush after a search was conducted by villagers.
Mr Njase said the family is not suspecting any foul play and have been advised to bury and mark the grave to facilitate possible exhumation in future.
And police are investigating a case in which two cheque books were stolen from a parked motor vehicle in Chilenje township in Lusaka and are being used to swindle people.
Police spokesperson Esther Katongo said in a statement that the cheques were stolen from Brael Mubanga in October last year.
“The cheque books are for Great Mines Media Solutions Limited bearing serial numbers 000001 to 000200 for Barclays Bank and Bracon Access Limited with serial numbers 000001 to 000100 for Investrust Bank,” she said.
Ms Katongo urged the public to be mindful of the cheques bearing these serial numbers as criminals are using them to swindle individuals and business houses.
