A 22-year-old business university student was found dead in his flat after contracting coronavirus.
Kapalu Musenyesa, a Zambian student studying at Middlesex University, died in his North London flat on April 20, The Sun reports.
His devastated family were understood to have flown from Zambia for their son’s funeral on Monday.
Friends said Kapalu, who was known as Kaps, was found dead in his flat on Monday, April 20.
A fundraising page set up in his memory raised more than £6000 ($A11,300) towards funeral costs.
Kapalu, who is from Ndola in Zambia and attended Chengelo School, was studying business at Middlesex University.
Friend Agnes Mutale wrote on the fundraising page: “Kapalu was found dead in his room.
“He was studying business studies at Middlesex University here in the UK. COVID-19 claimed his life. “Please help us with the donations which will go towards funeral arrangements and processions.
“This will also cater for sending Kapalu’s remains to Zambia where his parents are. We are so humbled with the overwhelming support we are getting through from friends and relatives.”
Pal Chabala Kakungu wrote on Facebook: “I never pictured myself wearing a mask but after COVID-19 took my brother Kapalu Kaps Musenyesa (rest in peace young king) I think it’s time we took this whole thing seriously.
“Stay home or wear a mask to step out. And make sure you wash your hands every chance you get!”
Lily Mutamz wrote on Facebook: “COVID-19 has claimed a fourth Zambian in the UK. Kapalu, a student at Middlesex university, died in his flat in London. He had fever and difficulty breathing (hours before his death).”
The Middlesex University’s family flew over from southern Africa on Monday for his funeral, with the support of a £6,000 fundraising page in his memory.
Mr Musenyesa is reported to be the fourth Zambian national to die in the UK. Three others are said to be in intensive care units.
Sun Online have contacted Middlesex University for a response.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been urged to launch an independent public inquiry into the disproportionate impact coronavirus is having on the UK’s black and minority ethnic communities.
Analysis by the Office for National Statistics found black men and women are more than four times more likely to suffer a coronavirus-related death than white people.
Very sad.
May God comfort his parents, family and friends. His life has been cut short by this devilish coronavirus.
It cannot be easy for his family.
This has really touched me. This young man had all his life to look forward to. He was going to come back home eventually, unlike the distasteful diasporans, and contribute to our economy. Can tarino and fellow sadist diasporans explain to us why our young man has died in your country? Why wasn’t he tested? You come here all day criticising our government’s approach and yet here we have a young healthy man living in your so called developed adopted homes who died out of your negligence. RIP and we in government will do what we can to support family. Very disappointed in diaspora. Kz
Watch how non of the evil sadist diasporans will comment. Very evil creatures.
The report says he developed a fever, it is like the disease was well known to him or his close associates before he died. so why wasn’t he tested or treated? Our embassy must carry out an investigation as to why nothing was done about his sickness.
KZ mudala tekanaya, this is not the time to patronize. This young man’s life has been taken prematurely and I’m sure his family will be proud if others learn from circumstancs which may have contributed to his early demise. We need to understand why this young man was unable to seek help. Middlesex University is in very close proximity to Edware hospital. We also need to be alert to subtle racism in statement such as covid19 is kiiling more black people than white. When black people appeared to be affected less in the early stages of the pandemic, the same people where asking why. The family of this young man should ask questions why he never got to hospital after compalining about symptoms associated with the last stages of the disease. MHSRIP.
The Ministry of Health should take an interest in this case especially that the relatives have traveled to the epicenter of covid and the death is for a covid 19 patient
KZ mudala tekanya, this is not the time to patronize. This young man’s life has been taken prematurely and I’m sure his family will be proud if others learn from circumstancs which may have contributed to his early demise. We need to understand why this young man was unable to seek help. Middlesex University is in very close proximity to Edware hospital. We also need to be alert to subtle rac!sm in statement such as covid19 is k1lling more black people than white. When black people appeared to be affected less in the early stages of the pandemic, the same people where asking why. The family of this young man should ask questions why he never got to hospital after complaining about symptoms associated with the last stages of the disease. MHSRIP.
Embassy take charge, not what these kids are writing on Facebook.
May his soul rest in eternal peace. So sad indeed died in an apartment. God strengthen the family members.
MHSRIP…good work by Middlesex University for flying in his family as I dont think flying the body out would be allowed under the present circumstances!!
Sincere condolences to the family on the loss of a young, promising Zambian – MHSRIP.
Trust Zambian government will assist the family, unlike recent past losses Zambians in diaspora have responded compassionately, raising funds to assist affected families. Fellow diaspons, lets rise again to this noble cause to assist the family as they make funeral arrangements.
MHSRIEP. The office of the national statistics say black men and women are four times more likely to die from covid19, their stats are wrong. Over 25,000 people have died in UK from covid19, are most of them black? Why are they making this disease a race thing. The more reason Africa should not get get any vaccine or drug for the covid19 from them. Let us get from Madagascar.
I urge people in the UK to be very descriptive when contacting the Paramedics or NHS…they have a check list – dont just say fever as they will just tell you to self isolate especially if you are young like this man.
MHSRIP
MHSRIP Mr. Kapalu..lets mourn him in peace, fundraising group, thanks! @ Kaiser Zulu; CoV affects everyone regardless of which location! .@ Lazi; if CoV symptoms severe,need for admission/ hospital, if mild, then self quarantine for 14 days.. avoid who to blame. @ Nostradamus; Mostly, Embassies just connect you like to foreign affairs back to Zambia and never even do anything, it just prolongs the whole process from one call/ office to another without any positive outcome, it’s the family ‘s responsibility in short.Thanks, Super Bae
RIP young man, god bless
This is truly sad. MHSRIEP. It will be sad if his family cannot take his remains home considering the restrictions at this point. Ideally everyone would love to be buried where their family can visit their grave site. Totally heart breaking!!
And congratulations to M Mudenda for becoming first Zambian presenter on blue Peter, well done the BBC
Too bad for the young man. It must be a heavy shock for the family. Great work by the support group.. real friends indeed.
Mr KZ are you real? If you stay in your flat and you are ill, how do you expect the emergency services to know. Almost every day, adverts have been on most TV channels to contact the 111 number if you have any coronavirus symptoms, we dont know in this case all the details and the sensible thing is to not comment.
What issues do you have with those that have decided to practice their professions somewhere else? You should be worrying about creating jobs for the many teachers and unemployed graduates back home and not about people who contribute to Zambia through remittances of over 100 million dollars a year.
Let us all pull together for the country we all love.
My Tribe is Zambian. Please dont look at everything through the racism lenses, if you researched a bit more you will find the reasons that make those statistics valid. It is not race only, it’s the nature of jobs that people do, family sizes, gender, all these have played a role and no one has looked at it from a genetic point of few, neither has it been to stigmatize people but as a real concern to minimize risk.
We should go to Madagascar for our malaria, HIV, TB, cancer medications??
Let us criticise the West when wrong but not on the very day they are contributing millions to our covid-19 fight. Our HIV and malaria programs are based on huge contributions from the west so we need to appreciate the efforts of other races. Probably you should change your name to My Race is Human…
Sad that Zambia has lost a life promising young man. It is situations like this that the minister of higher education and Zambian people at large must petition our government to fund our public universities so that young people learn locally. Why travel to Europe for a degree in business studies if locally it is affordable. You are better off keeping your children learn locally than sending them abroad for a degree that is not unique to Zambia. In fact we must pass a law that no Zambian shall learn abroad, if the degree being sought for is available in Zambia, whether parents can afford or not. It must be a criminal offense to take children abroad when locally they can learn and save tax payers money. Even those in diplomatic service must send their children back home to learn and the…
Mr. Nine Chale??? Are you real. Those parents must be arrested for contributing to the death of their child. Why send a child to UK to study business studies when that money should have been spent in Zambia?The only degrees we must send our children to learn abroad are those related to neurotic science or not those that are available in Zambia.
MHSRIP, it is sad that KAIZER ZULU, find some thing politcal to say about everything. Can you not just wish the family well and leave politics out of it. You are very childish and the sooner you are sent to jail next year when the PF Govt falls the better.
Mr. Chi, you surprise me. Why congratulate someone for being the first Zambian presenter in the UK? Encourage people to come back home and be the first Zambian in something, not London. No matter how many years you spend in London, you are still foreigner. You seem to be nursing inferiority complex traits. I would rather stay in Kalingalinga, Misisi, Mutendere and Shango’ombo than be in London where am reminded to be foreigner.
@Ndithu, but who would love to have their children at Universities that are always closed down ten times in a year! If the parents can afford to send their children to foreign schools, I don’t see any harm in that! Pa last you will advocate for a law that will have us arrested for having Rice instead of Nshima just because maize corn is grown in abundance. Mubale, after all we all have choices right? MHSRIP
I do not agree at all with your words. Parents must be arrested for sending this promising young man to UK to study business studies when the same program could have been achieved from ZCAS, CBU or UNZA.
NDITHU – Please there is a time for everything sir/madam …dont be like the UK based impostor who has no morals or etiquette!!
I am so sorry to hear this. My thoughts are with the family and friends at this difficult time. I know nothing can take away the sorrow they must feel. It’s little comfort I know to say that there is no fairness in any of this.
Mate, this children were born here, I have some conversation with my own daughter who is studying politics and social science, their mentality is different,we should be proud of them and encourage
covid-19, who is to blame for the closure of universities in Zambia? Lecturers or government? If a Law id passed to stop parents sending children abroad for their studies, even ministers who deliberately not fund universities and colleges will be affected. Then our universities wont close at all. Which one is better to improve your universities or a foreign one? The money these parents spend on their children is earned locally because most of them learnt on a bursary under Kaunda left. They got the education locally free and have never paid back. So if we trace their background, most of them if not all learnt freely. So they must payback and send their children locally.
Chi, whether born there or Zambia, if they are Zambians let them come and learn back home. We must be proud of our country and nobody will promote it if we down grade it. It is us to upgrade it. If you are living in UK, that does not make you British, and if you received education under Kaunda, you must have learnt freely. Have you paid back to your government? If not it is time you pay back by sending your children in Zambia. Wait one day I will be minister of higher education, be ready for such laws. I will enact a law that if you learnt under Kaunda, and all your children none has a degree locally you owe government money from bursary. If you do not pay back you will be jailed.
Tarino, orange, am pure Zambian. Can never live in UK. Am angry at parents who spoil children with imperialist ideologies that when they take their kids to the UK for a degree in business studies, then they have made them educated. Nonsense. Now they ask for contribution. I cant contribute a ngwee, and I ask the Zambian embassy to stay mute. A degree in business studies can be earned at ZCAS, UNZA or CBU. I studied at Cambridge, Dublin, and Cape town universities but thats at Masters, MPhil and Doctorate, not undergraduate
NDITHU – That’s your opinion and your choice now move on you know nothing about this family…I dont see any point of engaging you in a debate especially on this article, you are just falling for the bait placed before you by the UK based impostor above . If you have any decency or respect I urge you to cease this debate now.
@ NDITHU you have a valid point there bally!!!!!!!!!!! I concur with you!!!!!!!
Someone sent me an email that when I bash and derange against Diaspora demons, does that include my wife Regina who is based in the UK? Well of course not… why would I do that. My beautiful wife is only in the UK to look after our many properties while I’m on national duties. My use of ‘Diasporas’ only includes the likes of Tarino demon and his kind who are always jealous and calling us corrupt and criticizing us. No that’s not double standard… hope that helps you.
What a pathetic inhuman question from @KZ. People from all over the world are dying of the virus regardless of which country they are in. Others more than some due to factors that are routinely being investigated. The point is anyone can catch it and either recover or fail to do so. Instead of supporting further research and investigations into the disproportionalities, be it social factors, health, age or genetics, you are busy spewing your usual garbage here against people aboard. Which country only has it’s nationals in this global world? People work, study, visit or do business wherever they want. What business is it of yours? May the young man rest in peace.
@Ndithu, … what kind of a shallow contribution is that? We forever urge governments, including vastly corrupt ones to improve education and health syatems. Right now these are not only inadequately available but are also of very poor quality – compared to the KK days, for example. Places are few, graduates are jobless and you want to say everyone should be in Zambia. Those who use stolen resources to send their children abroad, yes, we condemn. Those who can afford it, that’s their choice. What business of yours is it? If you are not tied down by a scholarship, you can live and work wherever you choose. Thousands have made various choices, even returning home. Some have returned and tried to make a difference and have found insurmountable barriers caused by the political regime and have…
… sought other avenues. So who are you to lecture people on where they should study or work?
We pray, God please look upon this family at this time, and Grant peace to them through loving memory of their loved one. May he rest in peace.
A few things have popped up; 1. Why was he not able to call his close friends after emergency call (if he made one) if he did why did they not call emergency on his behalf? 2). Zambians need to be sensitive to one another. Other immigrants here keep helpful connections to each other. Look out for each other. Definitely, we want the embassy to speak on behalf of this young man.
Very sad to have been alone.
We are all touched by this virus. Last Thursday, a friend’s mother died in hospital. She had had the birus and appeared to have gotten better. Suddenly she became unwell (a recognised pattern). She walked into hospital and was put in ICU immediately, and died days later from multiple organ failure (a COVID pattern).
PLEASE TAKE THIS VIRUS SERIOUSLY. FOLLOW THE RULES. STAY HOME, MASK UP, WASH HANDS, EXERCISE TO IMPROVE YOUR LUNG FUNCTION. Improve your immune system by exercising, take vitamins D3,B. Eat a small clove of raw garlic with your meal every day it helps to watch off flu. PRAY HARD.
So sad