A 60-year-old man has surrendered to police following a tragic incident in which a swarm of bees from his backyard allegedly killed a 77-year-old woman in Hellen Kaunda.
Gratias Matunda Paschal turned himself in around 09:30 hours yesterday, accompanied by his lawyers, after being summoned by police over his suspected role in the fatal attack.
According to Police, Paschal had kept illegal beehives at Plot 217, a standard residential property, without the required permit — an act authorities say exposed neighbours to serious danger.
The fatal incident occurred on February 2, 2026, around 10:00 hours, when the bees swarmed residents in the area. Seventy-seven-year-old Judith Malango was repeatedly stung and later collapsed. Her nephew, 68-year-old Richard Ngoma, told police that she died shortly after the attack.
Three other residents — 28-year-old Mambwe Mwansa, 45-year-old Martin Kalenga and 48-year-old Miyanda Sunga — also sustained multiple stings and were left in severe pain following the incident.
A postmortem conducted on February 3 confirmed that Malango died as a result of multiple bee stings.
Police investigations established that the bees originated from the illegal hives allegedly kept by Paschal within the residential neighbourhood, in violation of the Animal Health Act, which prohibits such activities in built-up areas.
Police spokesperson Godfrey Chilabi confirmed that Paschal has been charged with one count of manslaughter, contrary to Section 199 of the Penal Code, and three counts of unlawful acts causing harm, contrary to Section 238.
“The suspect is currently in custody awaiting court appearance,” Chilabi said.
The incident has raised concerns about the safety risks associated with keeping potentially dangerous livestock in densely populated residential communities.
Why keep bees? Do we keep crocodiles? No because they are dangerous animals and we know this