Zari Hassan has pushed back against questions surrounding the death of her former husband, Ivan Semwanga, insisting that his death was confirmed and that his remains underwent a postmortem examination in Uganda after being returned from South Africa.
Speaking to Tawfiq Media, the Ugandan socialite challenged journalist Simon Kaggwa Njala’s renewed questioning of the circumstances surrounding Semwanga’s death in 2017, including concerns about the availability of medical records.
Zari maintained that the family had direct knowledge of what happened and followed the necessary procedures after his death.
“Even in Uganda, they did a postmortem report, and his own sons cleaned his body as per cultural tradition,” Zari said, explaining that Semwanga’s remains were returned to Uganda from South Africa.
Her remarks come after Njala described the late businessman’s death as a “mystery,” pointing to unanswered questions about the circumstances surrounding his passing and the reported absence of a medical report.
The journalist’s comments have renewed discussion about the death of the businessman, who was widely known in Uganda and South Africa and was previously married to Zari.
However, Zari questioned why Njala was pursuing medical records concerning someone who died years ago. She also challenged his account of attempting to obtain information from a South African hospital, arguing that hospitals cannot simply release confidential patient records to anyone who requests them.
“I found out that when you are really idle and poor, you start imagining things that don’t exist. Misery loves company,” she said, directing sharp criticism at the journalist.
Zari further questioned Njala’s authority to request the records and whether he had sufficient identifying information to locate them.
“When he called, which Semwanga did he ask for? Often, when we go abroad, we change names. How can you even hunt for a dead man’s records? What for, really?” she asked.
The socialite insisted that those who were present during the bereavement knew that Semwanga had died. She said the family confirmed his death, prepared his remains and completed the paperwork required to transport his body back to Uganda.
“We, the bereaved, know that he died; we confirmed, zipped up the body bag, and worked on the paperwork to return his remains to Uganda,” she said.
Her account also highlighted the role of cultural traditions in the family’s final preparations, with Zari stating that Semwanga’s sons cleaned his body in accordance with Buganda customs.
Despite her firm response, the claims made by both sides concern different aspects of the case: Zari has described the procedures the family says it followed, while Njala has raised questions about the documentation surrounding the death.
The available statements do not independently establish whether all the medical records discussed by the journalist exist or have been made available.
For now, Zari’s message is clear: she stands by the family’s account of Ivan Semwanga’s death and has challenged Njala to explain why he continues to pursue questions about the late businessman’s medical records.