Dr. Tasila Tembo’s Killer Sentenced to Life Imprisonment

After more than four years of legal proceedings, the family of the late Dr. Tasila Tembo, a renowned physician and former presenter of “Your Health Matters,” finally saw justice delivered as her killer, Nigel Musonda Mwaba, was sentenced to life imprisonment by the Lusaka High Court.

High Court Judge Sharon Newa handed down the life sentence to Mwaba, a former Zambia Army lieutenant, after ruling that he had brutally murdered Dr. Tembo, who was 47 at the time, in October 2020. Delivering the judgment, which spanned several hours, Judge Newa established that Mwaba had planned the murder and caused fatal injuries by striking Dr. Tembo in the jaw with a blunt instrument, resulting in multiple fractures and brain trauma.

The court found overwhelming evidence presented by the prosecution, including testimony from a pathologist that proved beyond a reasonable doubt that Mwaba was responsible for the death of Dr. Tembo.

Dr. Tembo’s body was discovered in a decomposed state near Mikango Barracks days after she was reported missing. The court heard that Mwaba fled the scene and later hid in Mazabuka before returning to Lusaka after Dr. Tembo’s burial. He was apprehended at her gravesite in a chilling turn of events.

Mwaba, who initially denied the charges, claimed during his defense that Dr. Tembo had fallen from a moving car after an argument about alleged infidelity. He admitted to slapping her but denied intending to harm her. The defense also presented testimony that Mwaba suffered from borderline personality disorder, characterized by impulsive behavior and difficulties in social relationships. However, Judge Newa dismissed this defense, citing the overwhelming evidence against Mwaba and stating, “The defense of diminished responsibility cannot stand.”

The trial, which began in 2021, saw testimonies from over 20 witnesses, including Dr. Tembo’s family and friends. Witnesses recounted troubling details about the toxic and abusive nature of the relationship between Mwaba and Dr. Tembo. Her best friend, Caroline Simfukwe, testified that Mwaba had previously threatened Dr. Tembo and even warned he would circulate her private photos if he could not have her.

Dr. Tembo’s daughter, Sheryn Peters, expressed her reservations about her late mother’s relationship with Mwaba, describing it as unhealthy. The court also heard testimony from Dr. Tembo’s brother, Lonjezo Tembo, who was with her and Mwaba on the day she went missing. He recounted how Mwaba drove off with Dr. Tembo after sending him to buy bread and beer, never to return.

The sentencing brought some relief to Dr. Tembo’s grieving family, though they emphasized that no verdict could undo their loss. Speaking after the judgment, family representative Thomas Zulu expressed the family’s continued mourning over the brutal murder of Dr. Tembo, who was the breadwinner and had been caring for her elderly mother before her untimely death.

As Mwaba was led to a prison van wearing a red-and-white T-shirt, Dr. Tembo’s family and supporters left the court with mixed emotions—relief that justice had been served, but sadness over the loss of a mother, daughter, and trailblazing physician who had dedicated her life to helping others.