A 38-year-old businessman from Kandemba area in Solwezi District has been sentenced to two years and four months imprisonment with hard labour by the Solwezi Magistrate’s Court for assaulting a shop owner who attempted to apprehend him after he allegedly stole goods from the shop.

Morgan Malopa was accused of assaulting and harming John Kayamba on 3rd March 2026 in Solwezi district, a charge he admitted when he appeared before Principal Resident Magistrate Mambwe Mukonde.

According to the facts of the matter, Kayamba had his shop broken into by unknown people who got items costing K10,000 and that when he searched the shop premises, he found two men within 100 metres.

The facts read that the two men distracted the complainant from seeing them by shining a light in his face before splitting in two different directions.

“The complainant chased after one of the two men who he came to know as Morgan Malopa. When the accused saw that the complainant was close to him, he challenged him with a screw driver,” the facts read.

Kayamba chased after Malopa and upon seeing how close he was to catching him, he hit him with a screw driver on the left side of his face, stomach and other body parts causing him to sustain cuts and bruises.

Malopa was caught with the help of Kayamba’s neighbours who was found with a sack of items containing multiple items missing from the shop and a yellow screw driver used to hit him was picked from the scene.

Maloba was found guilty and convicted by Magistrate Mukonde after he admitted the facts and asked the court for leniency saying his children would suffer if the court sent him to prison.

But Ms Mukonde said Maloba extensively harmed Kayamba for fear of being caught adding that such actions cannot go unpunished and pronounced a two-year four months’ jail term with hard labour which will take effect from the date of his arrest.

Meanwhile, the same court has sentenced 39-year-old Steven Mulemena, a small-scale farmer of college area to twelve months’ imprisonment suspended for nine months after finding him guilty of assaulting his young brother, Moses Khumalo.

According to facts in the matter, Mulemena beat up Khumalo with a brick causing him to have multiple fractured ribs after a quarrel over money.

Mulemena asked the court to be lenient on him saying he regrets his actions and pledged to refrain from such behaviour.

But Magistrate Mukonde said Mulemena’s actions were unacceptable as he acted excessively despite having provoked his young brother adding that his actions could not be condoned.

“You are the one who provoked the complainant yet your actions were excessive, such actions are unacceptable. Having heard your mitigation and the fact that you are a first offender, I hereby sentence you to twelve months’ imprisonment, suspended for nine months and the sentence will take effect from the date of arrest,” Magistrate Mukonde said.

The Electoral Commission of Zambia has urged uniformed officers in Shangombo District to execute their duties with professionalism and impartiality as the district prepares for candidate nominations on Wednesday.

Addressing officers during a pre-deployment briefing, Shangombo District Electoral Officer Abwino Banda said the session is meant to equip them with a clear understanding of the electoral process and their role in it.

Mr Banda explained that the briefing would outline the key stakeholders involved in the elections and clarify their respective responsibilities.

“In this briefing, you are going to appreciate who the electoral stakeholders in these elections are, and also their roles,” he said.

He added that officers must ensure only accredited stakeholders are permitted access during the nominations.

Mr Banda said that the briefing will also cover electoral offences and the penalties attached to them.

Attorney General, Mulilo Kabesha, has officially launched a United Nations (UN) Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Project aimed at promoting economic development, trade facilitation and responsible business along the Lobito Corridor.

Speaking at the event, Mr Kabesha said the corridor is more than a transport route, but a strategic economic lifeline with potential to redefine trade, investment, industrial growth, and regional cooperation across southern and Central Africa.

Mr Kabesha further stated that the project, funded by the Government of Japan and implemented with UNODC and other partners, seeks to strengthen governance, transparency and anti-corruption measures as trade and investment along the corridor increase.

Mr Kabesha highlighted that Zambia’s role in the corridor aligns with regional integration goals under the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the African Continental Free Trade Agreement.

“Africa’s prosperity will be built through cooperation, connectivity, and collective ambition,” he said.

Mr Kabesha also stressed that infrastructure alone would not deliver lasting growth but true and lasting economic development must be anchored on strong governance, transparency, accountability, and ethical business conduct.

The Attorney General urged business leaders to adopt the National Corporate Governance Code, saying it was a strategic framework designed to promote ethical leadership, responsible decision making, and transparency, accountability, risk management, and long term sustainability.

He added that good governance is now a requirement for investors, financial institutions and development partners.

Mr Kabesha also highlighted Zambia’s role in negotiating the Lobito Corridor Transit Transport Facilitation Agreement signed in January 2023 by Angola, Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and a Memorandum of Understanding signed in Brussels in October 2023 with the African Development Bank, EU and US.

He said his office had pushed for changes to ensure the MoU respected Zambia’s jurisdiction.

Mr Kabesha added that the project aims to reduce the cost of doing business, connect Zambian enterprises to global markets, and safeguard against illicit trade, money laundering and organised crime.

“Along this corridor, investment must benefit communities, trade must promote shared prosperity, and development must be inclusive, sustainable, and secure,” he said.

Japanese Ambassador to Zambia, Takeuchi Kazuyuki, has pledged continued support for Zambia and the DRC to build a Lobito Corridor that drives trade while upholding integrity, transparency and inclusivity.

Ambassador Takeuchi said the initiative reflected Japan’s commitment to sustainable growth in the region.

“The Lobito Corridor is not merely a transport route. It is a right path for regional integration, trade and prosperity,” he said, adding that while the corridor offers transformative opportunities, it also faces serious risks, including illicit financial flows such as tax evasion and smuggling, and inconsistent enforcement.

Mr Takeuchi further noted that his country stands ready to work with governments and development partners to strengthen institutional resilience and safeguard the corridor’s integrity.

The Ambassador commended Zambia’s coordination efforts, noting that under the Director of Public Prosecutions, more than 22 ministries, regulators and law enforcement bodies had come together to disrupt financial crime.

“The UNODC project, he said, would complement this by training law enforcement and criminal justice officials and supporting intelligence sharing and joint operations with agencies such as the Anti – Corruption Commission (ACC) and Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) under SADC frameworks,” he said

Ambassador Takeuchi also highlighted Japan’s interest in Zambia’s mining sector, which he said was vital to the global green energy transition.

“Japan is committed to working with Zambia to develop responsible supply chains for critical minerals essential for green technologies and advanced technologies,” he said.

Meanwhile, Angola’s Ambassador to Zambia, Albino Malungo, called on public and private partners to ensure economic activities along the corridor were fair, transparent and inclusive.

“The success of this programme depends on your efforts, engagement, and your presence.

And, DRC Ambassador to Zambia, Didier Bapanga, said the Lobito corridor offers Africa a new chapter to write and grow the economy.

“The Lobito corridor is naturally impacting, and will create jobs,” he said.

United Nations Resident Coordinator, Beatrice Mutali, said the project effectiveness depends on harmonised policies, strong institutions and robust governance including aligned customs, trade and regulatory frameworks across borders.

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.