A Zambian truck driver, Joseph Chivanga, who went missing in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) two weeks ago, has been found dead.
Chivanga, who was on his routine trip to transport acid to Kolwezi, was discovered on Saturday in a river under circumstances that suggest foul play.
His truck had been found abandoned days earlier, with its doors left wide open, raising fears about his safety.
The exact details of how he died remain unclear, but fellow truckers fear foul play.
Speaking to #Kalemba in an interview, one of Chivanga’s fellow truck drivers, who preferred to remain unanimous for fear of victimization, expressed concern over the safety of Zambian truckers in the DRC.
He questioned how long it would take for the governments of Zambia and the DRC to respond to what he described as the ill and barbaric treatment of foreign drivers.
“How do you want to cry for us to get protection from attacks in the DRC, should we stop driving why would us truck drivers die like chickens? The soldiers and the police of the DRC are the ones who in the forefront of attacking us,” he complained.
Chivanga’s death has reignited calls for cross-border safety measures and proper protection for Zambian drivers working in the DRC.
Many drivers now fear for their lives as they continue to transport goods between the two countries.
By Noel Iyombwa
Picture for Illustration
Kalemba December 15, 2025
