Lusambo to know his fate on Sept 25

Lusambo to know his fate on Sept 25

By Thandizo Banda

THE Kabwe magistrates court has set September 25 for judgement in the case in which former Lusaka Province minister Bowman Lusambo and four others are charged with unlawful assembly.

Lusambo, 48, who is also former Patriotic Front (PF) Kabushi member of Parliament (MP), is charged with Central Province PF chairman Billy Sichamba, Saidi Chibwana and Mathews Changwe, businessmen, and bus conductor Martin Simfukwe.

It is alleged that on November 2, 2023 in Kabwe town when Lusambo was en route to Lusaka from Luanshya made a brief stop at Staross Take Away to buy a meat pie and drinks.

He greeted people who later mobbed him, an act which attracted the charge of unlawful assembly charge.

Earlier, the State called seven witnesses among the United Party for National Development (UPND) cadres who testified against him and others.

Kabwe resident magistrate Gloria Chipasha put Lusambo on his defence after establishing a prima facie case against him.

Five defence witnesses were called to testify in the matter leading to its close yesterday ahead of judgement in September.

Magistrate Chipasha advised the defence team to make its submissions on August 13 while the State is expected to file its response on August 27.

The court will reconvene on August 28 for mention.

Meanwhile, a fuel attendant at Kabwe’s Rubis Filling Station yesterday said he did not sense any danger for him to press the emergency button and close the filling station.

Testifying before Chipasha was 28-year-old George Mulila, a fuel attendant who said the environment at the filling station was calm and peaceful when Lusambo made the brief stopover.

Mulila said Lusambo did not cause any potential threat to the neighbourhood, too.

Another witnesses, a salesman at Staross Take Away Newton Chayenkuwa said he sold Lusambo and two others snacks and drinks on the material day.

Chayenkuya said Staross Take Away was a public place where people from all walks of life, including prominent citizens and politicians, stopped over for refueling their vehicles and buy snacks and refreshments.

He said it was common to witness members of the public mob public figures.

Other witnesses, Given Ziba and Clement Kalifungwa, told the court that Lusambo’s impromptu stopover at Staross Take Away was not in any way a planned gathering.

They said it was the popularity of the prominent politician that attracted Kabwe residents to scramble to catch a glimpse of Lusambo commonly referred to as Bulldozer.