When Lemekhani Nathan Nyirenda’s body returned to Zambia last year, it was supposed to bring closure to his grieving family. However, the controversy surrounding his death on the battlefield in Ukraine only deepened.
The 23-year-old was a student at a Moscow university when he was arrested while working as a courier for carrying a package containing drugs, and was sentenced to nine years in prison.
His family said they had no idea what was in the package. After Russia invaded Ukraine last February, Wagner offered an early release to the prisoners in exchange for fighting on the front lines.
In September, Nyirenda was killed in action in Ukraine. His body was brought back to Zambia on December 11. But his family is not sure if the body is actually his.
“When the casket was opened, they found only pieces of bone assembled into bones, no flesh,” said a source close to the family. DNA testing is being done in South Africa but the results are inconclusive.
Nyirendas planned to bury his son at the family farm in Chongwe district east of Lusaka, but could not do so until the identity of the body was confirmed.
last week, The Chanzo reported that Nemes Tarimo, a young Tanzanian studying in Moscow, had also died on the front lines in Ukraine after being released from a Russian prison.
This article first appeared on Continenta pan-African weekly newspaper produced in partnership with Mail & Guardians. It is designed to be read and shared on WhatsApp. Download your free copy here.