Cyril Ramaphosa Sends Condolences to Family of Student Killed in Ukraine

The government of South Africa, and the Presidency of Cyril Ramaphosa, have sent their condolences to the family of a 23-year-old Zambian student who was killed while fighting for Russia in Ukraine.

Lemekhani Nyirenda is believed to have died in combat in September but the news was suppressed by Russian authorities until last week.

Nyirenda was initially in Russia to study nuclear engineering at the Moscow Engineering Physics Institute but was serving a nine-year sentence for drug-related charges. Zambian authorities are demanding answers from the Kremlin as to how a Zambian engineering student ended up dying in battle for the Russian state. 

Zambia has historically sent a number of students to Russia on scholarships, as was the case with Nyirenda, but the circumstances of both his imprisonment and his release are unknown. It is understood Russia has offered freedom to some prisoners in exchange for fighting in Ukraine.

A spokesperson for Cyril Ramaphosa commented the continuation of the conflict was a tragedy and emphasised that “it is for this reason the President Ramaphosa has been quite consistent in calling a dialogue between all parties concerned in resolving this conflict.” 

Officials in Lusaka have called for Moscow to “urgently provide information on the circumstances” surrounding Lemekhani Nyirenda’s death.

In a statement released last week, Zambia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Stanley Kakubo, sent his condolences to the family. “The ministry of foreign affairs and international cooperation is deeply saddened by the untimely death of Mr Nyirenda under such circumstances and commiserates with the family on their loss,” Kakubo said.

Zambia has taken a neutral position on the war, alongside a host of African nations, but has been explicit in its condemnation of any form of war or acts of aggression.