Zambia : Body Of Drowned Boy Retrieved

The body of 13-year-old Justine Siame, who drowned in Blue Water Dam in Mkushi District, has been retrieved seven days after the incident happened.

The body was retrieved on Monday night after community members spotted it, prompting the Fire Brigade to action.

Justine, a Grade Four pupil at Mkushi Boma Primary School, drowned while swimming with friends at the dam in the Farmers Training Centre area on, September1st, 2026.

ZANIS reports that the body has since been buried.

Meanwhile, members of the community have renewed calls for authorities to either close, bury or fence off the dam, which they say has claimed several lives over the years.

Abigail Kunda of Mkushi said the dam is extremely deep, making it difficult for people who drown there to escape.

“The dam is very deep and when someone drowns, they cannot come out. A lot of lives have been lost there,” Ms Kaunda said.

She appealed to Government to take urgent measures to prevent further deaths.

“We are calling on the Government to either bury the dam or have it fenced and locked so that people, especially children, cannot easily access it,” she added.

Another community member, Lydia Tembo, said children in the surrounding community continue to lose their lives in the dam.

“Children in this community are dying a lot in this dam. Sometimes, we also hear of people being thrown into the dam. Let it either be buried or fenced because we have lost a lot of lives,” she said.

However, Mkushi Town Council Secretary Moffat Mwanza said completely getting rid of the dam may not be feasible because of its size and the benefits it provides to some members of the community.

Mr Mwanza said the local authority has taken note of the concerns raised by residents and will engage relevant stakeholders to find a lasting solution.

“There has been a lot of talk, with people suggesting that we should get rid of the dam. However, looking at the vastness of the dam, getting rid of it may not be feasible,” Mr Mwanza said.

He indicated that fencing the dam could be considered, although the exercise would require significant financial resources and the involvement of various stakeholders.

“Fencing may also not be done easily because of the cost, and we need to involve a lot of stakeholders. At the same time, getting rid of the dam may disadvantage members of the community who use the water for irrigation and gardening,” he added.

Mr Mwanza said the council will engage key stakeholders to explore measures that can prevent further loss of life.

“As a local authority, we have taken note of the concerns and we will engage the key stakeholders so that we can avoid the loss of lives in the future,” he said.

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