Former Home Affairs Minister Stephen Kampyongo’s wife, Wanziya Chirwa, has opened her defense in a matter where she and her husband are charged with possession of properties deemed to be proceeds of crime.
Ms. Chirwa, 43, testified before Principal Resident Magistrate Sylvia Munyinya that she and her husband have developed properties over successive years using family income.
During her testimony, Ms. Chirwa, who currently serves as the Chief Planner at the Ministry of Youth, Sport, and Art, stated that she was allocated a plot in Lusaka’s Foxdale area and a farm in Mikango areas of Chongwe district during her tenure as a Planner at the Ministry of Lands in 2007.
She further explained that the properties in question were developed through her salaries and her husband’s contributions. Ms. Chirwa highlighted that her job allowances and savings, especially during her Master’s Degree Scholarship in 2009 in the Netherlands, also contributed to the income spent on developing her properties.
Additionally, Ms. Chirwa mentioned that she inherited some properties from her late mother in 2002.
The couple faces 11 counts of possession of property worth 29 million Kwacha, which are alleged to be proceeds of crime, contrary to the Forfeiture of Proceeds of Crime Act Number 19 of 2010.
Mr. Kampyongo and his wife were arrested in October 2022 in connection with the case.
The defense’s opening testimony marks a significant development in the ongoing legal proceedings surrounding the allegations against the former Home Affairs Minister and his wife.
Typical thieves
She explained well, unfortunately convincing Zambian hearts is like beating donkeys. Zambians are hard haters.
I just feel sorry for my friend Steve, because it’s hard to make love to a depressed woman.
yes they hate corrupt thievery crooks H
Inherited properties is not hard to prove and any sane investigative wings or court can not drag anyone to explain inherited properties. Just satisfy the court with evidence of your wealth. Obita dicta is not sufficient.
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All those allowances should have left a money trial pointing to building……….
These guys are lying-if you have belt a single house you know exactly how long and expensive it is.
And in her defense she is claiming that she worked in the Netherlands while she was attaining her masters-
In most countries you are only allowed to work 20 hours per week. What ever you make in the 20 hours you use some of that money for rent-and other expenses-unless she was living in the red right district. Zambian government does not pay a lot of money for someone building properties worth 29 million kwa- these fools think they are so smart-they fooled them selves.
land/Property in Zambia is titled…..If she inherited the property ..a check at lands will show all previous owners.
print outs of transfer taxes paid , Land rates, council rates etc can help estimate the value of the properties.
In case you have forgotten, Vincent Mwale as Home Affairs Minister went on a very short leave and Steven Kapolyo Kampyongo acted in his place for that short period and that’s the time he signed the Fire Tender deal that saw Zambia procure wheelbarrows at 1 million dollars each. It’s difficult to sympathize with such people, just like it’ll be with those that have continued their art of selling Zambian assets to dubious Cayman Islands registered companies.
whatever is happening in Zambia isn’t different from watching tom and jerry the only difference is who becomes jerry and who becomes tom
Lies have short legs…the inherited property must have a paper trial…the land she allocated to herself has a clear procedure on how land is acquired…so there should be a paper trail…now what about the developments on the same ‘land’? Uko…