A Lusaka magistrate has issued a bench warrant for Patriotic Front (PF) Information and Publicity Chairperson Emmanuel Mwamba after he failed to appear in court for the continuation of his trial on charges of disorderly conduct.
Magistrate Amy Masoja granted the warrant on Tuesday after Mr. Mwamba’s absence was noted in court. He and three co-accused—Jacqueline Chopa, 49, Gideon Tolopa, 42, and Gift Kachingwe, 32, all businesspersons—are jointly charged with one count of disorderly conduct at Kabwata Police Station, an incident that allegedly took place on February 27, 2023.
During the hearing, one of Mr. Mwamba’s sureties informed the court that the opposition figure is currently in the United States and is expected to return to Zambia on March 4, 2025. Despite this, Magistrate Masoja scheduled February 26 as the date for the return of the bench warrant and ordered Mr. Mwamba to appear before the court.
Mr. Mwamba, a vocal critic of the Zambian government and a prominent figure in the PF, has not publicly commented on the court’s decision. The case has drawn attention amid heightened political tensions in the country, as the opposition continues to challenge the policies of President Hakainde Hichilema’s administration.
The trial will continue as the court awaits Mr. Mwamba’s return.
Politically motivated, if you asked me. Although Mwamba is a known yellow journalist, he still has a right to be wrong.