Unknown people are exhuming bodies of still-borne babies at a burial site in Chienge district in Luapula province. The practice, which is taking place at Kangalo village in senior chief Puta’s chiefdom, has been widely condemned.
Headwoman Kangalo One, Roydah Musonda, told ZANIS that the development was unfortunate and saddening.
Headwoman Kangalo One, who took a ZANIS crew to the graveyard on a fact finding mission, has since appealed to government to take action and prevent the practice from continuing.
She said her investigations have established that the exhuming of the bodies is being done by people and not dogs as claimed by some quarters in the sistrict.
“This is the doing of people, it is not possible for a dog to use a hoe to exhume a body,” she said.
The traditional ruler wondered what could be motivating some people to exhume the remains of the still-borne babies.
In another development, the Chienge Town Council has said plans are underway to establish a cemetery in the district.
Chienge Town Council Chairperson, Francis Mwanto, said currently, the district does not have a burial site designated by the local authority.
He said the advantage of having a council cemetery is that it provided other services such as grave diggers, burial permits and security.
