By Isaac Zulu
The family of a 25-year old Zambian student who died in China is scouting for more than US$15,000 in order to facilitate the repatriation of the remains of their deceased son.
A 25-year old Zambian, who was a third year civil engineering student, died in a road mishap while riding a motorcycle on his way to the workplace where he was having his internship.
Speaking in an interview with Daily Revelation at the funeral house in Kapiri Mposhi, father to the late Sampa Mwenya explained that the family is concerned about the delayed transportation of the deceased’s remains back to Zambia.
Father to the late, Morgan Mwenya, disclosed that the family has no capacity to facilitate the the transportation of his son’s remains back to Zambia, adding that the situation has been compounded by the fact that Sampa was not on government bursary while pursuing his studies in China, which he said was making it difficult for the government to make logistical arrangements on time to enable the quick repatriation of the deceased’s body.
“My first born child Sampa Mwenya was 25-year old at the time of he died in a road mishap on 30th April. As a family, we were heart broken and devastated. The biggest challenge that we have right now is that we have no capacity to facilitate the repatriation of the remains of our son,” explained Mwenya. “The problem is that my son Sampa was not on government bursary or sponsorship while studying in China, but was on self sponsorship. And this is what is making it difficult for the government to make logistical arrangements for the repatriation of the remains of our son.”
He appealed to the government and well-wishers to come to the aid of the deceased’s family and ensure that his son’s remains are repatriated to Zambia.
Mwenya expressed fear that in an event that the deceased’s family fails to source for the money required to facilitate the repatriation of the deceased’s body, the Chinese government might be left with no option, but to burn the body of the deceased and ferry some ashes back to Zambia.
“According to the current quotation, the amount required for us to facilitate the repatriation of my son’s remains is between $15,000 and $20,000. And that translates into K255,000 and K320,000. That’s the amount we are currently scouting for. We have made a formal request from the government, through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to come to our assistance,” said Mwenya. “We do not have the capacity to facilitate the repatriation of my son’s remains to Zambia. I am still appealing to President Hakainde Hichilema and his listening government to help us in this regard. I am also appealing to some well-wishers to help transport our son’s body back to Zambia. The current Chinese customs and laws require that the body should be burnt and they can only send ashes of the remains. And that will even make us, as a family more devastated because it has been a long time since we last saw our son.”
Mwenya further said that Police in China are still conducting thorough investigations in the death of Sampa, adding that a comprehensive report will be ready soon.
