Court told cause of death in Kalaba case ‘impossible to establish’

The High Court in Lusaka has heard that the cause of death of George Kalaba, whose skeletal remains were discovered in his home earlier this year, cannot be determined.

Kalaba’s widow, Sylvia Mutuba, is on trial for manslaughter but has denied any involvement in her husband’s death.

The 51-year-old’s body was found in January 2025 in a skeletal state at his residence in Garden Chilulu, sparking shock and suspicion within the community.

Appearing before Judge Annie Malata-Ononuju, forensic pathologist Dr. Victor Telendy explained that the remains were too decomposed to provide answers.

“Because the body had no soft tissues or internal organs, it was not possible to establish the cause of death,” he said.

Dr. Telendy, who has practiced for nearly three decades, including 13 years in Ukraine, added that the bones were intact and bore no signs of injury.

He stressed, however, that this did not exclude the possibility of illness or even homicide. “I cannot say why this person died,” he admitted.

The court also heard that this was the first case of its kind in his career.

He noted that while in some cultures, particularly in parts of Asia, families are known to keep deceased relatives at home, he had never encountered such a practice in Zambia.

Earlier, a friend of the deceased, 43-year-old carpenter Elvis Nkonde, testified that he last saw Kalaba in August 2023.

At the time, Kalaba had complained of feeling unwell but was still able to move about and even visited a local barbershop.

Nkonde said after that encounter, Kalaba disappeared from the neighborhood.

Nkonde narrated how, in January 2025, he and other friends tried to trace Kalaba, only to learn from his relatives that he had not been seen for over a year.

Their search ended when police moved in on Kalaba’s Garden home and later recovered his skeletal remains.

He recalled seeing officers escort Mutuba and her daughters away before removing the body.

“We later buried the remains at Mutumbu cemetery,” Nkonde told the court.

During cross-examination, Nkonde admitted that he had once taken photos with Kalaba at his home, some of which were deleted at the request of Kalaba’s daughter.

He denied withholding information, insisting he was only motivated by concern for his missing friend.

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