Boy, 5, dies after taking Kachasu

A five-year-old boy in Masaiti district in the Copperbelt Province has died after drinking illicit liquor popularly known as Kachasu.

Aaron Chisenga of Kabundi village in chief Chiwala’s area in Masaiti district died after his father, Peter Chisenga, allegedly gave him the illicit liquor to drink.

Copperbelt Police Commanding Officer, Peacewell Mweemba, said the incident happened yesterday, March 11, 2023 between 01:00 hours and 06:00 hours in the morning.

Mr Mweemba told ZANIS that the mother to the deceased child, Delia Ndimani aged 46, reported the matter to Mapalo police.

He said fact are that Ndimani left home on Friday, March 10, 2023 in the evening to go for a charcoal business far away from home and left the children in the custody of their father.

He explained that when she returned home early the following morning around 05:00hrs, she discovered that one of the children, who is now deceased, was not in good condition and unable to talk.

Mr Mweemba stated that she inquired from her other children about what had happened and she was told that their father shared some number one Kachasu around 01:30hrs with the deceased who later became unwell.

He said the child was rushed to a nearby health facility and later referred to Arthur Davison Children’s hospital where he was pronounced dead upon arrival.

Mr Mweemba revealed that the police made a follow-up but found that the suspect had run away.

The body of the deceased has since been deposited in Arthur Davison Children’s hospital mortuary awaiting post-mortem.