Zambia! Zambia Police have officially arrested and charged “content creators” Kazadi, Zambia records over 9000 road traffic accidents in Q2 2025, Kalomo couple reportedly kill toddler in domestic dispute over nshima, Malawian teen rescued in human trafficking sexual abuse case, Father sexually abusing own daughter, Chibombo man killing daughter’s ex-husband, Facebook blogger jailed six months 2025

Zambia recorded a total of 9,377 road traffic accidents in the second quarter of 2025, with 522 of them classified as fatal, resulting in 642 deaths, according to the Zambia Police Service.

In a statement issued in Lusaka on Wednesday, Police Spokesperson, Rae Hamoonga, said 939 were serious accidents in which 1,826 people sustained severe injuries, while 1,816 were slight accidents involving 2,942 minor injuries.

The remaining 6,100 were damage-only accidents, which did not result in any physical harm to individuals.

Lusaka Province registered the highest number of accidents at 4,713, followed by the Copperbelt with 1,282, Central Province (919), Southern Province (579), and North Western Province (531).

Eastern Province recorded 380 accidents, Muchinga 340, Luapula 250, Northern Province 195, and Western Province had the lowest figure with 188 incidents.

“When compared to the second quarter of 2024, which recorded 9,035 accidents, there has been an increase of 342 incidents,” Hamoonga said.

Fatal accidents rose from 469 in 2024 to 522 in 2025, resulting in 42 additional deaths. Serious accidents increased from 876 to 939, with serious injuries climbing from 1,570 to 1,826.

Although slight accidents fell from 1,896 to 1,816, minor injuries increased from 2,760 to 2,942. Damage-only accidents also rose by 306 cases—from 5,794 in 2024 to 6,100 in 2025.

Hamoonga disclosed that 365 children under the age of 16 were involved in road traffic accidents during the quarter, comprising 211 boys and 144 girls.

Tragically, 63 children died, 147 sustained serious injuries, and 155 suffered minor injuries. Most of the children involved were passengers or pedestrians.

Human error remained the leading cause of road traffic accidents. Key contributing factors included excessive speed (2,317 cases), misjudging clearance distance (1,376), failure to keep to the nearside (1,253), and disregard for traffic signals or lights (777 cases).

Hamoonga also reported a notable increase in revenue from admission of guilt fines, with K18,152,450 collected in Q2 2025 compared to K15,957,240 during the same period in 2024—a rise of K2,195,210.

Expressing concern over the rising number of accidents and fatalities, particularly those caused by negligence and disregard for traffic rules, Hamoonga emphasized the alarming involvement of children.

“The involvement of children, particularly as pedestrians and passengers, is especially troubling,” he said.

To address the trend, Hamoonga announced that the police, in collaboration with key stakeholders, would implement enhanced road safety enforcement measures and awareness campaigns starting in the third quarter of 2025.

“These efforts will focus on high-risk areas such as major highways and urban centers to reduce preventable accidents and safeguard the lives of all road users,” he stated.

Hamoonga urged the public to take road safety seriously, follow traffic rules, and report reckless driving.

PRESS STATEMENT
ARREST AND CHARGING OF PERSONS FOR OFFENCES RELATING TO OBSCENE MATTERS

July 16, 2025-The Zambia Police Service wishes to inform the public that it has arrested and formally charged three individuals in connection with the production and circulation of obscene materials, contrary to Section 177 of the Penal Code Act Chapter 87 of the Laws of Zambia.

The arrested persons have been identified as follows:
1.David Kazadi, Male aged 34
2.Mwaka Halwiindi, Female aged 23
3.Ruby Muzandu, Female aged 23

The charges against the accused are as follows:
Mwaka Halwiindi has been charged with two (2) counts of Making or Producing Obscene Videos Tending to Corrupt Morals contrary to Section 177(1)(a) of the Penal Code Act, Chapter 87 of the Laws of Zambia.
Ruby Muzandu has been charged with one (1) count of Conveying or Exporting Obscene Matters or Things contrary to Section 177(1)(b) of Chapter 87 of the laws of Zambia
David Kazadi has been charged with two (2) counts of Producing Obscene Matters or Things contrary to Section 177(1)(a), as well as two (2) counts of Circulating Obscene Matters or Things contrary to Section 177(1)(b) of the Penal Code Act of the Laws of Zambia.

The offences committed by the accused involve the creation, distribution, and transmission of content deemed to be obscene and likely to corrupt public morals. The materials were discovered following intelligence-led investigations and digital surveillance by our Cybercrime Unit.

The accused persons are currently in lawful custody and are expected to appear in court soon.

The Zambia Police Service sternly warns members of the public against engaging in activities that violate public morality and decency. The production and circulation of obscene content are serious offences that attract punitive consequences under our laws.

We wish to reaffirm our commitment to upholding law and order, especially in the digital space, and will not relent in bringing offenders to justice.

A tragic incident has unfolded in Kalomo, Southern Province, where a couple allegedly killed their one-year and three-month-old child during a domestic altercation over nshima.

The couple initially claimed the child had accidentally fallen into a well, but the mother later confessed that the child was fatally struck with a pot in the midst of a fight between the two.

This is according to a statement issued by Southern Province Police Commanding Officer, Auxensio Daka, on Sunday.

“On July 5, 2025, at 14:00 hours, Kalomo Police Station received a report from Mr. Timothy Masaka, the sitting Chief Sipatunyana, alleging that a couple in Simwajata Village had murdered their child,” Daka stated.

He explained that the incident occurred earlier that day at around 01:00 hours, involving Patson Munsaka, 40, and his wife, Fenister Simuloonga, 29, both of Simwajata Village under Chief Sipatunyana.

“Brief facts of the matter are that in the early hours of the said date, the couple engaged in a dispute after the husband demanded nshima and the wife refused to prepare it. In the course of the quarrel, the husband picked up a pot and threw it at his wife, but it struck their child, Matson Simanyengwe, who immediately lost consciousness,” he said.

At around 07:00 hours, the couple rushed the unresponsive child to Simwatachela Health Facility, where they were informed the child was already dead.

Daka further disclosed that by 11:00 hours, the couple proceeded to the home of the husband’s father, Patson Simachembele, 75, in Muulwa Village, Chief Simwatachela, carrying the deceased child’s body.

Police investigations into the matter are ongoing.

High Court Judge Susan Wanjelani has sentenced a 55-year-old man to 40 years imprisonment with hard labour for sexually abusing his 13-year-old biological daughter, describing the act as a grave betrayal of trust.

Bernard Ndubula of 10 Miles Township in Lusaka pleaded guilty to incest charges before the Lusaka Magistrates’ Court, where he claimed it as the “devil’s work.”

Judge Wanjelani condemned the abuse, stressing that the position of a father is one of respect and trust, meant to protect, not harm.

“Considering her age of 13 years, the victim will live with the stain and trauma for the rest of her life. Whilst I acknowledge that the convict did not waste the court’s time by pleading guilty, it does not take away the impact his actions have had on his daughter,” she said.

The judge said the sentence was meant to reflect the seriousness of the offence and to allow the convict time to reflect and atone for his actions.

“In taking into account his mitigation, and also to give him enough time to atone for his wrongdoing, I sentence the convict to 40 years imprisonment with hard labour, effective October 21, 2024—the date he was taken into custody.”

According to court evidence, on October 5, 2024, the victim had been sleeping at a neighbour’s house when Ndubula called her back home under the pretense of having bought her schoolbooks.

He assured her she could feel safe in the house even though her mother was away in another township.

However, once she returned, Ndubula’s demeanor changed. He entered her bedroom wielding a knife and threatened to kill her if she screamed or told anyone what he was about to do.

He then locked the door, covered her with a blanket, undressed her, and defiled her.

The next morning, the girl confided in a neighbour, who advised her to inform her elder sister.

Together, they reported the matter to their mother, and the case was eventually brought to the police.

Ndubula was convicted by Magistrate Mutinta Mwenya, who later committed him to the High Court for sentencing.

Police in Lusaka have launched investigations into a case of human trafficking involving an 18-year-old Malawian girl who was lured into Zambia under false pretenses and later subjected to sexual abuse.

According to a statement issued on Thursday by Police Spokesperson, Rae Hamoonga, the victim, a school leaver from Malembo Village in Lilongwe District, filed a complaint at Kanyama Police Station on May 14, 2025.

Preliminary investigations revealed that the trafficking incident occurred on August 18, 2024, at an unknown time along the Zambia-Malawi border.

The suspect, identified as Paul Phiri, 25, a Malawian national residing in Lusaka’s John Laing Compound, allegedly promised the victim a job as a housemaid in Zambia, claiming his employer needed a cleaner.

Phiri is reportedly known to the victim through family acquaintances in Malawi.

However, upon her arrival in Zambia, Phiri confiscated the victim’s phone and began sexually abusing her, resulting in a pregnancy.

The victim, now five months pregnant, was later denied food and eventually expelled from the suspect’s residence.

“The abuse is reported to have occurred continuously from the time of her arrival in Zambia until her expulsion,” Hamoonga stated.

Following the report, police officers conducted a follow-up operation at Phiri’s residence, where they discovered a second female victim, aged 25, also a Malawian national from Shamama Village, Kasungu District.

Hamoonga said the second victim told officers she had been lured into Zambia through Facebook after Phiri promised to marry her.

“The suspect is currently in police custody as investigations continue. A docket has been opened and the case is being treated as human trafficking, in contravention of the laws of Zambia,” he said.

Police have since arranged for the two victims to be relocated to a safe home and are providing them with necessary support in line with victim protection protocols.

Hamoonga reaffirmed Police commitment to combating human trafficking and urged members of the public to remain vigilant against false promises of employment or marriage, especially those originating online or across borders.

“Anyone with information that may aid in the investigation of this or similar cases is encouraged to report to the nearest police station,” he added.

Lusaka Resident Magistrate, Mutinta Mwenya, has sentenced Facebook blogger, Elias Musyani, to six months imprisonment and fined him K70,000 for issuing threats of rape and abduction against Kidist Kifle, the wife of musician Yo Maps, and their daughter

Musyani was convicted on two counts under the Cyber Security and Cyber Crimes Act No. 2 of 2021.

During mitigation, his lawyer submitted two identity cards to support claims that Musyani was a student.

However, the court found both IDs had expired in 2010 and 2012, undermining the plea for leniency.

Delivering judgment, Magistrate Mwenya ruled that the prosecution had proved beyond reasonable doubt that Musyani violated Section 69 of the Cyber Security and Cyber Crimes Act No. 2 of 2021.

The charges stemmed from threatening and offensive social media posts in which Musyani stated he would rape Kidist in the presence of her husband and abduct her child, citing her lack of bodyguards and revealing her location.

Magistrate Mwenya explained that the mental element—mens rea—required for the offence was that the act be committed willfully.

However, she observed that neither the Cyber Security and Cyber Crimes Act nor the Penal Code defines the term “willful,” nor is it clearly defined under Zambian law.

To address this legislative gap, the court turned to persuasive authorities. In R v. Senoir, “willfully” was defined as an act done deliberately and intentionally, not accidentally or inadvertently.

In Nabob Oil Co. v. United States, the U.S. court held that a willful act, while not necessarily malevolent, must be voluntary and intentional.

Similarly, Black’s Law Dictionary defines “willfully” as voluntary and intentional, and the Wex Legal Dictionary echoes this, describing it as an act done deliberately or by design.

Applying these interpretations, Magistrate Mwenya concluded that Musyani’s actions met the legal standard for willfulness.

“There can be no doubt in the instant case that the accused meant what he said when he threatened to rape the complainant in front of her husband and steal her child,” she ruled.

The court also referenced Roy Clarke v. The Attorney General (ZR 96 of 2004), in which Justice Chitengi affirmed that freedom of expression is not absolute and must be exercised within the bounds of other laws.

A further reference was made to the Indian case Shreya Singhal v. Union of India (2015), which, though non-binding, emphasized that freedom of speech may be limited in the interest of public order.

Magistrate Mwenya ruled that Musyani had abused his rights under the guise of free speech by using language that incited fear and emotional distress.

“The accused overstepped his rights where his duties should have begun—by respecting others,” the court said.

In sentencing, the magistrate noted that Musyani was a first-time offender. However, she took judicial notice of the rising trend in cyber offences, cautioning that online character assaults are becoming increasingly common.

“The courts in Zambia will not hesitate to send a message through this case,” she said.
“Social media influencers do not own the right to speak carelessly on platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or TikTok without repercussions.”

Musyani was fined K70,000, payable within seven days, and sentenced to six months’ imprisonment.

The Lusaka High Court has sentenced a 65-year-old man from Chibombo and his two children to life imprisonment for the murder of his daughter’s ex-husband, whom they beat to death following a family dispute.

High Court Judge, Vincent Siloka, convicted Davies Chiyaba, his 37-year-old daughter, Modrine Chiyaba, and 24-year-old son Frank Chiyaba for the murder of Thomas Chishi, which occurred on May 4, 2023, in Lusaka.

The court heard that Chishi, who had divorced Modrine, frequently visited her at night at her father’s home, demanding sex despite their separation.

On the night of the incident, the Chiyaba family allegedly decided to confront Chishi in an effort to stop him from returning to their residence.

During the trial, several witnesses testified to the events of that night. Aaron Zambo, a neighbour, said he was awakened by Davies Chiyaba, who called for help, claiming there was a thief.

Zambo followed the commotion and encountered Modrine, who claimed that Chishi had attempted to stab her with a screwdriver. He witnessed Frank kicking Chishi while he was on the ground and attempted to intervene but was overpowered.

Another witness, Collins Mukuka, testified that he advised the family to take Chishi to the police. However, instead of reporting him, the trio continued to assault the victim.

Later that night, Modrine was reportedly seen beating Chishi on a bridge near the compound.

The following morning, Zambo was informed that a body had been found at Chunga Bridge. Upon arriving, he identified the deceased as Thomas Chishi and observed multiple facial injuries.

Headman Philimon Kandindima and other witnesses confirmed that the trio had assaulted Chishi the previous night.

A postmortem conducted by a medical examiner revealed that Chishi died from blunt force trauma, including internal bleeding caused by a ruptured liver.

Detective Chief Inspector Simfukwe testified that the three accused were arrested for murder, while a fourth suspect—Modrine’s alleged boyfriend, Pethias Mapulanga—remains on the run.

In their defence, the convicts claimed they had no intention to kill Chishi and argued that the situation had escalated unexpectedly.

However, Judge Siloka ruled that the prosecution’s evidence was consistent and credible. He found that the accused acted with malice aforethought and intended to cause serious harm or death.

“The accused knew that beating and kicking the deceased would result in death or grievous harm. The state has proved its case beyond reasonable doubt,” said Judge Siloka, adding, “I find all three accused guilty as charged.”

During mitigation, the court heard that the convicts were first-time offenders and had shown remorse.

Modrine, a mother of three, was said to be the primary caregiver for her children, while Frank, aged 24, was described as capable of reform.

The defence pleaded for leniency, citing that the trio had been in custody since the day of the offence.

However, Judge Siloka noted that the offence carried a mandatory sentence and subsequently sentenced all three to life imprisonment. He informed them of their right to appeal within 14 days.