The Chisamba Magistrate Court has sentenced a 35-year-old man to twelve months imprisonment with hard labour for assaulting his campmate at Kapungula Gold Mine.

Magistrate Litungi Litungi convicted and sentenced Jeff Londe of Kapalamoto village in chief Chamuka’s area after the accused pleaded guilty to one count of assault, contrary to Section 248 of the Penal Code Chapter 87 of the laws of Zambia.

The particulars of the offence are that on December 19, 2025, Londe unlawfully assaulted Charles Manda of the Luano area in Chisamba, thereby occasioning actual bodily harm.

On the material day at approximately 22:00 hours, Manda was allegedly hit in the face with a piece of wood by his campmate at Kapungula Gold Mine in Chisamba district during a dispute over the scattering of the victim’s personal belongings.

“On the 19^th of December 2025 at about 22: 00 hours, the complainant came home and found Jeff Londe, now the accused, a known person. After he noticed his belongings were thrown all over the place, he inquired from the accused who did not give a satisfying reply,” facts read in part.

Earlier, following an inquiry, Londe allegedly attempted to hit the complainant with punches and a wooden handle but missed, causing the complainant to flee but he allegedly pursued him and assaulted him in the process.

The accused fled after realising he had injured the complainant but was apprehended by the Community Crime Prevention Unit (CCPU).

The court heard that the complainant, who sustained bruises on the nose and on the left forehead, reported the matter at the Chipembi Police Post and was issued with a medical report.

When a warn and caution statement was administered to the accused in Tonga, a language he better understood, he admitted the charge.

Magistrate Litungi found Londe guilty as charged and convicted him accordingly, based on his guilty plea and admission of facts.

During his plea for leniency, Londe expressed remorse for his offense and pledged not to commit the offence of assault again.

“The punishment for assault is imprisonment for five years. However, I have taken into account that the now convict is a first offender who has readily admitted the charge,” Magistrate Litungi said as he sentenced Londe to one-year imprisonment with hard labour, effective December 30, 2025.

The Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit (DMMU) has evacuated 54 flood victims from Kamwala area in Lumezi District, Eastern Province, following flooding of the Lundazi River which occurred five days ago.

The affected individuals had been stranded across the river where they were conducting agricultural activities and could not cross back to their permanent homes due to high water levels.

The evacuation exercise was conducted with the support of the Zambia Air Force, whose aircraft made four sorties to ferry the victims and their personal belongings to Chiweza area in Kazembe Ward.

Confirming the development, DMMU Senior Communications Officer Mathews Musukwa said the operation was undertaken to protect lives.

“The affected people were marooned by rising water levels of the Lundazi River, making it unsafe for them to cross back to their homes,” Mr Musukwa said.

Meanwhile, floods have left 127 households homeless after their houses collapsed due to continuous heavy rainfall experienced in the area.

The displaced households are currently camped at Kazembe Primary School where DMMU, in collaboration with cooperating partners, is providing food and non-food relief items. Other affected families in villages such as Chimalilo, Saili and Bodola are being accommodated in temporary shelters within their respective communities.

Mr Musukwa said DMMU has commenced the distribution of relief supplies to the affected families.

“We have started distributing food and essential non-food items as part of the government’s immediate response, while further assessments are ongoing,” he said.

He further disclosed that a local businessman from Lundazi District, Mr Aliboo, has donated 100 by 25-kilogramme bags of mealie meal towards relief efforts for flood victims in Lumezi District.

Preliminary assessments indicate that the flooding originated upstream in Lundazi District where some critical infrastructure has been damaged.

Downstream, the floods have resulted in the collapse of houses, destruction of crop fields and heavy siltation, with some farmlands buried under sand.

DMMU says it continues to monitor the situation and is working closely with line ministries, the Zambia Air Force and cooperating partners to ensure the safety and welfare of affected communities.

The Zambia Amateur Athletics Association (ZAAA) has disclosed that Zambian athletes have intensified preparations for major international competitions scheduled for 2026.

In an exclusive interview with The media, ZAAA General Secretary, Teddy Shimishi confirmed that athletes, including star sprinter Muzala Samukonga, have already resumed training ahead of the Diamond League in Doha, Qatar in April.

Shimishi cited the historic World Athletics Relay Championships, set to take place in Gaborone, Botswana, from May 2 to 3, and the 24th African Senior Athletics Championships in Accra, Ghana, scheduled for May 12 to 18, 2026.

He described the 2026 athletics calendar as busy, noting that it covers local, regional, continental and global competitions.

However, Shimishi said limited infrastructure and funding remain major challenges, adding that Zambia currently lacks a World Athletics certified facility required for athlete qualification.

As a result, he explained that athletes are forced to travel outside the country to qualify, significantly increasing costs.

The media reports that Shimishi appealed to the government, sponsors and key stakeholders, including the Ministry of Youth, Sport and Arts and the National Sports Council of Zambia, to support resource mobilisation.

He stressed that adequate funding is critical for athlete preparation and international representation, adding that with proper logistical and financial support, Zambia has the potential to compete strongly and raise its profile on the global athletics stage.

Shimishi also said that ZAAA has placed strong emphasis on its talent identification programme, with more than 60 young athletes selected through competitions held at Kafubule Ranch and the Olympic Youth Development Centre (OYDC).

He explained that most of the identified athletes are school-based and form the core of Zambia’s future athletics pipeline.

The Ministry of Education has assured the nation that it is fully prepared for the reopening of schools on January 12, as learners return for the 2026 academic year under an expanding new curriculum framework.

Speaking in an interview , Assistant Director, Head of communication at the Ministry of Education, Kunda Mando, said the ministry is excited to welcome learners back to school and has put comprehensive measures in place to ensure a smooth and productive start of the term.

ZANIS reports that Ms Mando revealed that schools will observe a “zero week” from January 5 to January 9, a critical preparation period during which teachers will develop lesson plans and schemes of work, while head teachers will hold planning meetings with management teams and heads of departments.

Ms Mando stated that schools across the country have already been cleaned and prepared ahead of learners’ return, a practice made possible through school grants that allow head teachers to employ gardeners and cleaners.

She explained that the ministry has continued its phased implementation of the new curriculum, which began in 2025 with Early Childhood Education (ECE), Grade One, and Form One, these learners will now progress to ECE Level Two, Grade Two, and Form Two, while new entrants at ECE Level One, Grade One, and Form One will also join under the revised curriculum.

“This gradual phase-in and phase-out of the curriculum is an internationally accepted approach, it allows learners to transition smoothly while ensuring consistency and quality in education delivery.” she said

Ms Mando emphasised that the new curriculum places strong focus on practical learning, critical thinking, and creativity, enabling learners to go beyond memorization and actively engage with knowledge.

“We want learners who can think outside the box, innovate, and become self-reliant citizens capable of creating jobs, not just seeking employment,” she said.

Ms Mando reiterated that by 2028, Zambia will witness the final Grade Seven and Grade Twelve examinations under the old curriculum, alongside the first Grade Six and Form Four examinations under the new system.

She encouraged the public to remain informed and supportive as the education sector continues to evolve.

The National Energy Sector and Allied Workers Union has warned that continued vandalism of electricity infrastructure amounts to economic sabotage that is undermining Zambia’s development efforts and weakening the country’s push for a stable power supply.

The union says the destruction and theft of critical installations owned by ZESCO, including transformers and power cables, is draining the utility’s financial resources and disrupting electricity supply in several communities. According to the union, these acts frequently result in prolonged blackouts that are often mischaracterised as load shedding, when in reality they are the direct consequence of criminal activity.

Union representative Mr Siankulu said vandalism of public energy infrastructure directly compromises national productivity and economic growth. He noted that reliable electricity supply is a foundation for industrial activity, service delivery, and job creation, and any deliberate interference with that supply weakens the broader economy.

He explained that when transformers and cables are stolen, entire neighbourhoods are left without power for extended periods, affecting households, businesses, and public institutions. In many cases, residents blame the outages on power rationing, despite the fact that the disruptions are caused by theft and destruction of infrastructure.

Mr Siankulu said the financial burden of replacing stolen equipment has become a major constraint for the power utility. Funds that could be invested in network expansion, system upgrades, and new generation projects are instead channelled toward repairing vandalised installations and restoring supply to affected areas.

The union has therefore called on government to adopt tougher legal measures against vandalism of public infrastructure. It has proposed that vandalism of electricity installations be classified as a non-bailable offence, with a minimum custodial sentence of 25 years upon conviction. Union leaders believe stricter penalties would deter offenders and protect strategic national assets.

In addition to legal reforms, the union urged members of the public to actively participate in protecting electricity infrastructure by reporting suspicious activities and refusing to engage in the purchase or resale of stolen electrical equipment.

The call comes as the energy sector continues to navigate challenges linked to climate variability. In recent years, erratic rainfall patterns have contributed to reduced hydropower generation and unstable electricity supply. However, prospects for improvement have emerged following above-normal rainfall during the 2025/2026 rainy season.

Although the heavy rains have resulted in flash floods in some areas, they have also replenished water levels in major reservoirs, creating conditions for increased power generation. Mr Siankulu said this development offers an opportunity for improved electricity supply if infrastructure is adequately protected.

He further noted that government investment in energy diversification is beginning to deliver tangible results. The integration of hydropower with solar energy projects is strengthening Zambia’s generation mix and reducing over-reliance on a single source of power. According to the union, this approach positions Zambia to achieve a more predictable and resilient electricity supply.

The union added that improved stability in power generation enhances Zambia’s competitiveness as an electricity producer and supplier within the Southern African Development Community, where demand for reliable power continues to grow.

Mr Siankulu commended Hakainde Hichilema for prioritising reforms and investment in the energy sector, and encouraged the administration to sustain efforts aimed at achieving full stability in electricity generation and distribution.

He stressed that protecting electricity infrastructure must be treated as a national priority, noting that vandalism does not only affect the power utility but undermines economic growth, investor confidence, and the country’s long-term development agenda.