Allow me space to commend Luanshya Municipal Council for alerting the community on munkoyo which is brewed in Mikomfwa, Mpatamato and Roan townships.
The samples of the munkoyo collected contained phenobarbitone, a drug that is used to treat and prevent epileptic and psychiatric patients having seizures.
This drug slows the activity of the brain and nervous systems to prevent seizures.
The council deserves commendation for saving people’s lives and I hope investigations will continue to find the source of the drugs and who was responsible for supplying them so that culprits are brought to book.
One would expect that such types of drugs can only be dispensed at the hospital or clinic by qualified medical personnel upon production of a prescription.
If the drugs were not being abused by those who were involved in the brewing of the Munkoyo then one wonders what was the purpose of adding the same to the Munkoyo drink.
Of course not all those who consumed the Munkoyo had suffered from any ailment that required the remedy of the mentioned drug.
Lastly, I would like to urge the department of engineering to ensure that potholes on the poorly constructed Roan-Mpatamato Road are mended.
Timothy Kambilima
Luanshya
