Namweemba Magande, daughter of late former Minister of Finance and National Planning Ng’andu Magande, has asked the Lusaka High Court to order the exhumation of her father’s remains to facilitate a DNA test aimed at confirming her paternity claim.
In court documents filed in a 2025 matter, the 38-year-old plaintiff submitted that DNA samples collected from the late Magande’s remains would help determine whether he was indeed her biological father.
“The plaintiff will aver that there be an order to exhume the remains of the late for purposes of collecting samples to carry out a DNA test with the plaintiff’s DNA samples,” the court documents state in part.
Namweemba, who says she was born out of wedlock, has sued three administrators of her father’s estate, seeking a fair distribution of the properties. She contends that she has not been provided with a full inventory of the estate’s assets.
She is asking the court to compel the administrators to render a complete account of the estate and to distribute the assets to all rightful beneficiaries, including herself.
The defendants in the matter are Simwaale Magande, an administrator of the estate, along with co-administrators Joyce Mudenda and Nakanjoli Magande.
However, the defendants have questioned Namweemba’s paternity and her eligibility to benefit from the estate.
In response, Namweemba has indicated her willingness to undergo a DNA test, provided that samples are obtained from the remains of the deceased.
“The plaintiff will aver that she is ready to undergo a DNA test provided the same is done with samples of DNA collected from the remains of the deceased,” the documents further state.
Her witness, Sakubita Singongolo, submitted before the court that Namweemba is the daughter of his late sister and that Dr Magande was her father.
“In 2012, my late sister intimated to me that the father of Namweemba was the late Ng’andu Magande. She further informed me that the late Magande was charged for getting her pregnant and that the money was paid to her mother,” Mr Singongolo submitted.
According to the witness, Namweemba was raised in Livingstone by her mother, Ruth Sitali, and never visited her alleged father’s home, as the deceased was reportedly uncertain how she would be received by his wife and children.
The matter remains before the Lusaka High Court for determination.
This is a family issue. I wish it was not brought here. Just like the burial of ECL which is a purely family issue which regretably was taken to court by government.
Big money attacts attention
For sure everything that is done in the dark sure comes to light. Only the woman knows the biological father of every child born from her womb