A 29 year old Jonathan Mashata of Sakufola Village in Senior Chief Sikufele’s Chiefdom of Manyinga District in Northwestern Province has committed suicide in mysterious circumstances during the early hours of Christmas Day.

Northwestern Province Police Commissioner Dennis Moola identified the deceased as Jonathan Mashata aged 29 of Sakufola Village in Senior Chief Sikufele’s Chiefdom.

Mr Moola said the  father to the deceased  Zacks Mashata aged 49 of the same abode reported that around 02:30 hours that his son Jonathan Mashata committed suicide using his own t-shirt  tied to a tree in an area located about 300 metres away from their home

“Yes we have a report of a suicide case involving a 29 year old Man of Sakufola Village in Senior Chief Sikufele’s Chiefdom from Manyinga District,” he said.

Facts are that the development is believed to have occurred between midnight and 01: 00 hours today 25th December,2023.

“Before hanging himself, the deceased knocked on his father’s bedroom door and informed him that today on Christmas Day he was going to kill himself and that he was hearing from him for the last time without even giving reasons and shortly after that, he disappeared, “Mr Moola said.

Mr Moola said the father immediately pursued his son and only to find him hanging himself by the neck tied to a tree using  his t-shirt.

He said after that, the matter was reported to Police officers at Manyinga Police Station who visited the crime scene.

After thoroughly and physically inspecting the body of the deceased, traces of semen were found on his pants and his tongue was protruding.

“The young Man had made his intentions known to the father before committing  suicide, but without giving any reasons for his intended action,” Mr Moola added.

Mr Moola said his body has since been deposited in Loloma Mission Mortuary awaiting burial as there was no foul play suspected.

 A  20 year old fisherman of Nakanga village in Chilundundike area of  Manyama ward  in Siavonga district has drowned  after the canoe he was aboard capsized on Lake Kariba.

Confirming the development  in an interview, Manyama ward Councilor Special Mulaziki  named the deceased as Kubota Mukwangu of Manchamvwa lake shore, who met his fate around 14:00 hours, yesterday.

Mr.Mulaziki disclosed after completing an errand in neighbouring Manchamvwa Lakeshore village, Mukwangu battled with the sudden change of the tide on the lake making his dug-out canoe to capsize and consequently drowning.

He revealed that the deceased could not manage to swim for his safety as he didn’t wear a life jacket.

“Let us put on our life saving jackets whenever we are on the lake please and let us  analyze the weather before going on the lake, to avoid water accidents,” said the civic leader.

The body search has been instituted.

The Lions Club of Woodlands in Lusaka District has donated assorted items worth K18000 as a Christmas gift for the children to Mariann Shrine Orphanage Home of Joy in Lusaka.

Lions Club of Woodlands President, Joseph Chapeshamano says the donation comes with the combined support of other Lion Clubs within Lusaka and Chongwe district as well as the financial support from Consolidated Gold Mine.

Lion Chapeshamano confirmed that his club received financial assistance of over K6000 from Consolidated Gold Mine which was meant for the purchase of school pre-requisites for the children.

“We would like to appreciate the mining company that partnered with the Lions Club of Woodlands for this unwavering support and we believe and hope that they will continue collaborating with us for bigger events of this nature,” Mr. Chapeshamano said.
He also paid homage to various Lions Clubs within Lusaka Province that contributed immensely to the successful implementation and hosting of the Christmas event at Mariann Shrine Orphanage Home of Joy.
And Mariann Shrine Orphanage Home of Joy Director, Theresa Kulandai, thanked the Lions Club of Woodlands for this memorable that has put a smile on the children’s faces.
“The orphanage currently has 35 girls aged between 5 and 17 years who are currently under our care and this gesture of buying them school prerequisites and food stuffs will definitely go a long way in their lives,” Sister Kulandai said.

Lusaka Province Permanent Secretary, Robert Kamalata, expressed satisfaction with the performance of the public service in the region throughout the year 2023. Speaking at an end-of-year closure meeting with heads of departments in Chongwe district, Mr. Kamalata highlighted several positive strides made by the public service, including achieving a zero audit query status and securing the second-best position in high levels of integrity.

Mr. Kamalata commended the civil servants for their dedication and emphasized that these achievements should serve as motivation to work even harder in the upcoming year. He also announced that the 2024 budgetary allocation for the province has been fully funded by the government, ensuring adequate resources for future initiatives.

While praising the overall performance, Mr. Kamalata expressed concern about the negative work attitudes of some heads of departments. He noted instances of officers reporting late for work and leaving as early as 15:00 hours, emphasizing the need for a more committed and professional approach to work.

“Some of you have a laissez-faire attitude towards work. You want to come for work and knock off at any time you feel like. Some of you have even given each other days in the week to come for work, which is not good at all,” Mr. Kamalata stated.

He urged heads of departments to take their responsibilities seriously and pledged that unprofessionalism would not be tolerated within the civil service in the province. Mr. Kamalata also cautioned civil servants against using political influence to seek promotions and transfers, describing such actions as acts of indiscipline.

Additionally, the Permanent Secretary emphasized the importance of following the right channels of communication when addressing grievances and encouraged civil servants to take care of themselves during the festive season.

Responding on behalf of the heads of departments in the district, Chongwe District Administrative Officer, Kelvin Ndandanda, thanked Mr. Kamalata for his attention to the achievements and concerns of all departments. Mr. Ndandanda acknowledged that challenges in human resources and transportation persist but expressed confidence in Mr. Kamalata’s commitment to addressing these issues adequately.

“Issues of human resource and transport are very critical in the district, but we trust that you will adequately address them,” said Mr. Ndandanda.