Solwezi Principal Resident Magistrate Mambwe Mukonde has dismissed an application in a matter where one of the accused persons in the murder of Hellen Kamutumbe applied to have her age determined by a medical practitioner.
Grace Njapau through her lawyer from Messrs Legal Aid Board applied to have her age determined at a health facility owing to the differences in age on the indictment and her actual age.
This was sought to see if she falls in the spirit of the Children’s Code Act number 12 of 2022 and be treated as such during court proceedings.
That In this matter an affidavit was filed by her father claiming she was a child aged 17 and not 18 as appearing on the charge sheet but failed to produce either a birth record or an underfive card to show proof of age.
The state argued that Njapau was an adult who was in possession of a National Registration Card which shows her age as 18 consistent with what the parents gave the police at the time of her arrest.
When the matter came up for ruling today, Ms Mukonde said Njapau is in possession of a valid Zambian National Registration Card, a document issued by competent authorities which speaks to her age.
Ms Mukonde said Njapau’s NRC is conclusive evidence of her age adding that the defense’s application to have her age determined has been overtaken by a legal document presented before court.
“Accepting the accused’s mere allegations of her being aged 17 while the NRC shows that she is 18 would undermine the legal framework of the issuing authority. Just looking at her, she does not appear to be a child,” Ms. Mukonde said.
Magistrate Mukonde dismissed the application and adjourned the matter to May 29th 2026 for mention as instructions are still being awaited from the Director of Public Prosecutions.
Prince Ntambu, Grace Njapau and seven others are accused of killing 46-year-old Hellen Kamutumbe, a businesswoman of Chingola on 20th March 2026 in Kisasa area of Kalumbila district.
Ms Kamutumbe was killed in a mob attack on allegations that she had mysteriously caused the disappearance of a young man’s private parts.
