The Lusaka woman who was in April 2020 reported to have died in a priest’s house died of natural causes after suffering breathing challenges, a coroner has said.
Monica Mutale Mulenga, a member of the Womens’ Catholic League, died in April 2020, from the Parish Priests’ residence at Kaunda Square Catholic Church, while visiting Father Ringford Abel Mwelwa.
Following her demise, Fr. Mwelwa was suspended and an inquest was later instituted before the Lusaka Magistrate’s Court.
Lusaka Magistrate Judith Chiyayika, sitting as a coroner, passed a closed verdict stating that 42-year-old Monica Mulenga died of a sudden cardiac arrest.
Delivering her verdict in the inquest, Monday, Coroner Chiyayika said from the evidence of the witnesses and State Pathologist Luchenga Muchelenganga, found that the deceased died of natural causes.
“From the evidence before me, it is my finding that the woman died of cardiac arrest whose origin is not known. The State pathologist gave a detailed explanation. From the findings she died of natural causes. I therefore, enter closed verdict,” said Coroner Chiyayika
During the inquest hearing, Dr. Mcheleng’anga, a State pathologist who conducted an autopsy on Ms Mulenga told the court that he established that the woman died of sudden cardiac arrest.
Dr Mcheleng’anga told the coroner that Mulenga of Lusaka West may have died of sudden cardiac arrest but he did not know its origin.
He said Mulengas’ sudden death on April 8, 2020 may have been due to sudden cardiac arrest.
“So all in all, I conducted a postmortem on a 42-year-old woman who died in a home setting after taking tea and complaining of excessive sweating,” he said.
Dr Muchelenganga said during the postmortem, he did an internal examination, examining all the organs of the deceased.
“Of no significance, the deceased had a big uterus that was deformed by fibroids. Because I didn’t see anything remarkable and unusually abnormal on everything I observed, I obtained samples from the heart, brain, kidneys, liver, lungs so that I could examine them further through the microscope. Further examination under the microscope revealed that she suffered high blood pressure based on evidence from the kidneys and an infection in her kidneys – chronic nephritis,” he said.
Dr Muchelenganga said he authored a report from the office of the State forensic pathologist which he signed and date stamped.
“When I completed conducting this postmortem, I collected blood and sent it for toxicology examination to the Food and Drugs Laboratory so that they look for any common poison to see if there was anything. The laboratory sent me the results and the report indicated that they had not found any toxic substances in her blood,” he said.
He said the postmortem revealed an adult woman with no injuries.
“Further examination of samples collected revealed that the deceased may have suffered from high blood pressure and uterus fibroids,” he said.
“Examination of the blood for toxic substances was negative from the Food and Drugs Laboratory so given these circumstances, postmortem findings and findings on auxiliary studies, microscope examination and blood that was tested for toxicology, it is logical that the death may have occured due to a sudden cardiac arrest, the origin of which I don’t know why she suffered sudden cardiac death,” he said.
And a police officer, detective Barbara Chiyanda 46, of Chelstone Police Station, stated that on April 9, 2020, she opened an inquiry into the death of Mulenga who died at 22:00 hours on her way to Levy Mwanawasa Hospital on April 8, 2020.
She said Mulenga died at the Priests house who had invited her and actually picked her up from Lusaka West.
Meanwhile, Fr Mwelwa, 45, of Lusaka West, said he was a Catholic Priest and was suspended after the death of Mulenga.
“Arising from the death of Monica, I am on suspension. I am a Catholic Priest at the Parish at Kaunda Square. On 8th April 2020, I made a call to Monica asking her for a meeting and since she had no car, we arranged to have dinner at my home and around 16:00 hours, I phoned her to ask if her car was back from service but she said her brother had not yet returned it. I linked up with her at 19:45 hours and we arrived home at about 20:30. I wanted to prepare dinner but she said she will just have tea.
After finishing our tea with Marie biscuits, she said that she was feeling too hot and breathless, so I got a fan and switched it on, later I got a bottle of water and poured on her but she continued complaining about not feeling well, I told my assistant that the visitor was feeling sick, we needed to take her to Levy of which when we got there, the doctor told me that they couldn’t pump oxygen as she had fluids in her lungs and that she had died,” Fr Mwelwa said.
He said Mulenga was a member of St Maurice Parish in Lusaka West.
When prosecutor Dennis Manda asked Mwelwa why he invited Mulenga for dinner, Fr Mwelwa said a Priest was not prohibited to have a member of the church visit for dinner.
“A Priest is not prohibited to have a visitor who comes to stay there for a day or week for a holiday. Just like any other visitor. Gender is not a factor in terms of who can visit or not visit, ladies are welcome to visit and priests also are not prohibited to visit any parishioner,” he said.
Fix: Fr Mwelwa(far right) conversing with his lawyer Petronela Kafumbe at the Lusaka Magistrate’s Court today.
That’s why HH visited the pope. It was one of the promises. Mayo mpapa naine nkaku papa
Why this verdict when hh just visited the pope. All of a sudden it is cardiac arrest. Mu Zambia mwena ifya bupuba ubwingi
Alot of corruption under hh, one pastor from monze has been promoted
His reply was frivolous.
Of course rules does not forbid… BUT give the good reason for Inviting her at night.
Let the sleeping dogs lie.
Does any body remember that the media reported the dead woman’s husband was promised some money by the priest to zip the mouth when he complained to the clergyman about marriage interference and for the lady allegedly carrying a questionable pregnancy? If no one recalls, I do.
To the dad, RIP; to the living, enjoy the freedom.
Let the sleeping dogs lie.
Does any body remember that the media reported the dead woman’s husband was promised some money by the priest to zip the mouth when he complained to the clergyman about marriage interference and for the lady allegedly carrying a questionable pregnancy? If no one recalls, I do.
To the dead, RIP; to the living, enjoy the freedom.
Why a married woman invited by a Priest for a cup of coffee at night? Why? I cannot understand this.
Only God knows precisely what happened that night.
That malukula is vicious, how can he open up a woman like that??
He must be a vegetarian.
Can’t trust any catholic priest. In fact you can’t trust the entire catholic church.
The priest has told a lie. We have put measures to prevent people frequenting the priest’s house by establishing offices within the church premises where those who want to see the priest will get him. This is to avoid things like what happened to this priest. Besides Lusaka West and Kaunda Square are too far a part. Maybe the woman developed cardiac arrest due to ecstacy.
Does it comfort the Catholic Church that their Priests live a life of deceit? Which is better, to marry or to fornicate? Is it not God that ordained marriage? Celibacy is a failed doctrine and it doesn’t make you more pious than married Priests. Don’t play games with God for your days are numbered
Honestly, why take the trouble to drive all the way to Lusaka West to go and pick a woman in the night. Though they say thou shall not judge, this story is self explanatory. The priest had a sexual relation with the deceased. No doubt about it. He is a human being.
#12 Ayatollah. When St Paul talked about celibacy, he didn’t say it was compulsory. He only highlighted the advantages of being single as one administers God’s work. He adds that if one can’t resist the temptations, it’s better for that one to get a wife. But because people who are not ready to give up on certain things, priesthood has been invaded by all sorts of characters like those who can’t give up on the human body. Archbishop Milingo has been an advocate for the celibacy Canon law to change and allow priests to marry. He’s a lonely voice in the desert.
#Deja Vu, If you study the Bible as a student you’ll notice that Paul’s Books shouldn’t have even been included in the Bible because they possess several inconsistencies and contradictions. They’re the source of confusion in Christianity. If Celibacy were God’s Law then it should have been among the 10 Commandments. Archibishop Emmanuel Milingo released this and he challenged the Vatican to prove to him if marriage deducted from Priesthood. Pope John Paul 2 married Fathers from the Anglican Church. Celibacy is just a tradition that the Church is shy to change, they know that it’s wrong