Goods worth thousands of Kawcha have been destroyed in a fire that gutted two shops under unclear circumstances at the new Market area in Mufumbwe District of Northwestern Province.
Northwestern Province Police Commissioner Brighton Siwale confirmed the incident, which occurred on October 14, 2025, around 06:00 hours.
In a statement issued to the media in Solwezi today, Mr Siwale said Mwinilunga Police Station received a report of the fire on October 15, 2025, at about 07:30 hours from Ross Shimona, aged 28, of GR Compound, who reported that her shop and two others had been burnt, destroying goods worth thousands of kwacha.
“Brief facts of the matter are that the reporter and other victims operate makeshift shops at the New Market area near the Green Market section, where they sell groceries and other assorted products,” he said.
Mr Siwale explained that on October 13, 2025, the shop owners closed their businesses for the day, only to wake up the next morning to find their shops engulfed in flames and all their goods reduced to ashes.
He said Shimona lost goods worth K90,000, while Steven Shimona, aged 29, also of GR Compound, lost goods worth K30,000 while Elizabeth Mwansa, aged 27, lost goods worth K25,000 in the inferno.
Police, working with ZESCO staff, rushed to the scene and found the makeshift shops ablaze and ZESCO immediately disconnected illegal power connections supplying electricity to the shops from a nearby source.
“The Police, with the help of members of the public, managed to extinguish the fire, but the goods had already been destroyed,” said Mr Siwale.
He added that a man identified as Donnie Chakalika, aged 39, of GR Compound, was interviewed by both Police and ZESCO officials and confirmed that the three shops had been tapping electricity illegally from his shop.
Mr Siwale said the cause of the fire remains unknown, but investigations are ongoing and an inquiry file has since been opened.
