Findings of an autopsy show that the mysterious death of a Lilongwe-based Rwandan Halimana Noel was caused by poisoning and not a road accident as earlier reported.

A report compiled by Kamuzu Central Hospital (KCH) senior forensic clinical officer Andrew Master Mwale indicates that Noel died of commotio cordis, ruptured inferior vena cava and concomitant poisoning with chlordane.

The 36-year-old businessperson died on October 17 2022 in what was claimed to be a road accident near Daeyang Luke Hospital junction in Lilongwe.

However, circumstances of the alleged accident and subsequent actions by the deceased’s driver and his accomplices compelled the family to demand a full clinical autopsy.

The family contends that Noel was murdered by his driver and unspecified collaborators who allegedly acted at the behest of the deceased’s ex-wife. The family further accuses some police officers of shielding suspects to suppress justice.

But a post-mortem report, dated December 20 2022, that The Nation has seen states that the cause of death was severe haemorrhagic shock resulting from a ruptured inferior venacava and commotio cordis.

Entrance to KCH where the autopsy
was conducted

“This is an unusual autopsy case in which multiple enology is involved in the process to establish the manner and cause of death,” reads part of the report.

Commotio cordis, according to the report, is a phenomenon in which a sudden blunt, focused and directed impact to the chest causes sudden death in the absence of gross cardiac damage and “the manner of death was blunt chest trauma and blunt cardiac trauma”.

Chlordane is a thick, odourless amber-coloured liquid. It is a contact insecticide extensively used in agriculture and construction as a termite insecticide or for treating termites in buildings.

Noel’s death has set tongues wagging with several stakeholders blaming the police and demanding a full probe into the matter. His death came after several Rwandans mysteriously died or vanished in the country in recent years.

A Lilongwe-based group under the banner Concerned Malawian Citizens led by Wells Khama gave the police seven days to ensure that all suspects in Noel’s death faced the law.

On its part, Centre for Democracy and Economic Development Initiatives (Cdedi) wrote the Malawi Human Rights Commission to probe the mysterious deaths of Malawians of foreign origin.

Cdedi executive director Sylvester Namiwa claimed the police “bluntly and shamelessly were shielding suspects connected with the death”.

In an interview yesterday, he said the autopsy report needs to be treated as a tip of the iceberg and urged the police to use it to unmask systematic “accidents” that have ended in mysterious deaths and injuries, especially of Rwandan businesspersons.

“There is something happening. In fact, this is a time-bomb. Let justice be served. We cannot allow people to kill and go scot-free because they have money to protect them. That is unacceptable.

“Such incidences are forcing Malawians to live in fear. Meanwhile, we would like to remind the Malawi Human Rights Commission to act on our request to investigate other Rwandans who died in a similar pattern,” said Namiwa.

Refugee rights advocate Innocent Magambi, in a separate interview, pleaded with government to protect Malawians of foreign origin and asked police to handle such issues professionally.

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