By 
Three daughters of the late George Kalaba and a close family friend have each been sentenced to one month imprisonment with hard labour for failing to report his death — whose skeletal remains were discovered more than a year later.
Lusaka High Court Judge, Anna Malata-Ononuju handed down the sentence to Wendy Kalaba, 27, Sandra Kalaba, 22, and Natasha Kalaba, 19, along with Preteria Mbandama, 44, a close friend to the girls’ mother.
The sentence is effective from their date of arrest, January 14, 2025.
Kalaba is believed to have died on November 21, 2023. However, his decomposed body was only discovered on January 14, 2025, still lying on the matrimonial bed in his Garden House residence in Lusaka.
Read more: ‘Skeleton on the bed’: Lusaka court hears how brother to deceased Kalaba learnt of his demise
The court heard that the three daughters, who lived with their father at the time of his death, knowingly withheld information for over a year.
Mbandama, who was also aware of the death, failed to notify authorities.
Judge Ononuju described the group’s actions as “inexcusable,” stating they went about their daily lives while fully aware that Kalaba’s lifeless body remained in the home.
“The behaviour of the convicts is shocking and cannot be justified. They watched life go on as his body wasted away,” she said in her ruling.
During mitigation, defence lawyers appealed for leniency, noting that the four were first-time offenders, youthful, and had shown remorse.
“They pleaded guilty as a sign of contrition and have already spent five months in custody, enduring the hardships of incarceration and taking time for reflection,” the defence stated.
In court, the convicts offered a public apology: “We are sorry to the Kalaba family and the nation.”
Meanwhile, their mother, Sylvia Mutaba, 52, is currently on trial for manslaughter in connection with Kalaba’s death.
She has denied the charge and remains in custody.
The offence of failing to notify authorities of a death carries a maximum sentence of one month in prison or a fine.
WARNING! All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express permission from ZAMBIA MONITOR.
Comments