The six months rent free accommodation for a Lusaka woman who was found in possession of her deceased husband’s skeletal remains in Lusaka’s Garden compound has been paused after she was granted bail.
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Lusaka High Court Judge Annie Ononuju ordered Sylvia Mutaba to provide three working sureties bound to pay K20,000 each in their own recognisance.
Sylvia Mutaba, will now be coming from home upon meeting the bail conditions.
This was after the defence lawyers asked the court to grant their client bail as the offence was bailable.
In this case, Mutaba is charged with one count of manslaughter the charge she denied.
She was jointly charged with her three children, Wendy Kalaba aged 27, Sandra Kalaba,22, Natasha Kalaba 19 and a neighbour, Preteria Mbandama Musela who was charged with failure to give notice of death for Kalaba.
However, the three children and a neighbour where sentenced to one month imprisonment with hard labour after they pleaded guilty to hiding George Kalaba’s death.
But since the convicts served five months in jail already, the one month term was counted from the day of arrest.
The convicts were released following the judgement.
The case stems from the discovery of the dead body George Kalaba who was fondly called ba Zanaco in the compound.
The deceased elder brother, Emmanuel Kalaba, 55, reported to police that Mutaba, George’s wife, had consistently denied him and other family members access to George between July 2023 and January 2025.
Emmanuel said his concerns escalated when he visited the residence as early as 06:00, since she said George always left home early for work but he was still denied access.
With suspicion, he told the police that upon further inquiries, a tenant revealed to him that he had not seen the deceased for the past two years and that his wife had prevented anyone from visiting him which led to the discovery of the body
It is alleged that on the date unknown but between July 1, 2023 and January 14, 2025 in Lusaka, Mutaba caused the death of her husband George Kalaba.
The matter was adjourned to July 4, 2025 for trial
By Lucy Phiri
Kalemba July 3, 2025
