LINDA SOKO TEMBO writes
A MENTALLY disturbed man, Dabwali Katanga who went missing for a week in Lusaka’s Kalingalinga compound has been found after his pictures were posted on social media.
Mr Katanga was found in Silverest, in Chongwe area on Friday last week by a Good Samaritan Disman Kaombe.
In an interview, the family representative Japhet Phiri, told the Sun that Mr Katanga went missing from April 27, and only found find him on May 6.
“Mr Katanga went missing on April 27. The man stays with my daughter in-law. What happened was that around 18.00hours he was served supper in his room and the following day in the afternoon he disappeared from home. He is mentally disturbed he even has a record of admission at Chainama Mental Hospital,” he said.
Mr Phiri said they reported the matter to the police but they were advised not to panic until after seven days.
“Fortunately enough they found the Mr Katanga through social media after a picture of him started circulating,” said Mr Phiri
Meanwhile Mr Kaombe said he felt pit for the man who had been in the area for the past three weeks.
Mr Kaombe said they thought the man was just hungry and needed some food but little did they know that he was mentally challenged and needed much more help.
“We discovered this man in our area and thought he was only hungry and needed some food. So I organised some boys at the farm who picked him and prepared some food for him.
“But later we discovered that the man was pale and weak and he could not eat. He had a broken hand,” he said.
Mr Kaombe said Mr Katanga was just sleeping in the cold and the community got concerned and got him home, bathed and fed him.
He was given new clothes and rushed to Zambia Air Force clinic where they referred him to Levy Mwanawasa General Hospital.
He expressed happiness that the family managed to locate him and happy that the hospital was doing everything possible to ensure Mr Katanga was well again.