Lusaka | July 23, 2026 – The Lusaka Magistrates Court has committed former Zambia Security Intelligence Service (ZSIS) Director-General Xavier Franklin Chungu to the High Court for trial, following the issuance of a certificate of committal by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP). Chungu, 73, who was until recently a presidential candidate before withdrawing from the race, has been in custody since his arrest on May 28, 2026. He faces multiple charges under the State Security Act, the Penal Code, and the Zambia Security Intelligence Services Act, arising from a podcast interview recorded on May 24, 2026. Under Zambian criminal procedure, serious offences triable in the High Court require the DPP to issue a certificate of committal before the matter can proceed to trial. This certificate confirms that the DPP has reviewed the case file and is satisfied that the evidence supports the charges and that the matter is ready for trial. Once issued, the case file is transmitted to

Lusaka | July 23, 2026 – The Technical Committee of the Inter-Agency Coordination and Cooperation Framework convened its monthly meeting for July yesterday at the National Prosecution Authority (NPA) conference room in Lusaka. The Technical Committee, which reports to the Framework’s Steering Committee, serves as the operational engine of the Framework, coordinating inter-agency collaboration, reviewing ongoing initiatives and addressing emerging enforcement and financial integrity issues. Yesterday’s proceedings brought together senior technical experts from member institutions under the leadership of its Chairperson, Mrs. Chali Rachel Mbewe-Hambayi, the newly appointed Chief State Advocate at the NPA. In the first instance, the Committee considered recommendations arising from a dialogue with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) on Addressing Risks of Corruption in Critical Energy Transition Minerals (CETMs). The discussion comes amid growing global demand for minerals essential to clean energy technologies, a trend that has raised concerns about corruption vulnerabilities along supply chains. The UNODC has previously warned that rising

Solwezi, North-Western Province | 19 July 2026 – The Department of Forestry has arrested two suspects and seized more than 200 Rosewood (Guibourtia coleosperma) logs, five trucks and heavy timber-processing equipment following a major enforcement operation conducted at a timber yard in Manyinga District. The operation, carried out on Saturday, July 18, 2026, was conducted by officers from the Department of Forestry. Senior Public Prosecutor Mr. Alex Yanganani of the National Prosecution Authority’s Environmental and Wildlife Crimes Department was present during the operation as part of ongoing collaboration between investigators and prosecutors in combating environmental crime. The operation followed investigations into suspected illegally harvested Rosewood ((Guibourtia coleosperma) from Manyinga District, which led investigators to the Zam-Viet timber yard situated on traditional land in Manyinga District. Upon inspection of the premises, investigators discovered a substantial quantity of suspected illegally possessed timber together with vehicles and timber-processing equipment believed to have been used in the commission of the alleged offences. During the

Lusaka | July 20, 2026 -Friday’s daily morning briefing was expected to follow its familiar routine of case allocations, operational updates and prosecutorial business. Instead, officers and members of staff of the National Prosecution Authority (NPA) Lusaka Province transformed the gathering into something altogether different, a moment that spoke not of courtrooms and case files, but of gratitude, legacy and enduring camaraderie. The National Prosecution Authority had already formally bid farewell to all five of its newly appointed judges. It was a fitting institutional send-off, marking a proud moment for the Authority and the officers who had ascended to the Bench. But for Lusaka Province, the story did not end there. For more than four years, Justice Chipola James Bako had led the province as Deputy Chief State Advocate, providing steady leadership, mentorship and a firm commitment to excellence. To the officers and staff who worked alongside him every day, the official farewell, though memorable, was never going to be

Lusaka | July 16, 2026 – Zambia has become a reference point for justice reform on the continent after the Uganda Law Reform Commission (ULRC) chose Lusaka for a high-level benchmarking visit on the review of Uganda’s Identification of Offenders Act.A delegation from Uganda, led by Rtd. Hon. Justice Billy Kainamura, Commissioner of the Uganda Law Reform Commission, is in the country to understudy Zambia’s experience in offender identification, forensic science, and prosecution-led investigations. He was accompanied by the ULRC Secretary, Ms. Jeroline Akubu; Ag. Assistant Inspector General of Police Mr. Andrew Mubiru, who also serves as Director of Forensic Services in the Uganda Police Force; and other legal and research officers from the Commission.Ms. Akubu provided an overview of the ULRC’s constitutional mandate under Article 248(1) of the Ugandan Constitution, highlighting the Commission’s work in reviewing, modernising, and simplifying legislation including translating key laws into local languages and accessible formats such as Braille to enhance public legal awareness. She

Livingstone | July 15, 2026 – With the country inching closer to the polls, prosecutors and police investigators yesterday, Tuesday July 14, 2026, locked themselves in a day-long tactical session designed to fortify the frontlines of electoral justice. The National Prosecution Authority’s Livingstone team, led by Senior State Advocate Mr. Victor Choongo and State Advocate Mr. Malama Mataka, convened an interactive training with the Zambia Police Service yesterday, zeroing in on the investigation of electoral offences. But beneath the technical discussions on evidence gathering and case preparation lay a sharper, more urgent focus: protecting women from electoral violence and ensuring that perpetrators face the full weight of the law. The session, titled “The Investigation of Electoral Offences,” was not a lecture. It was a working clinic with prosecutors and investigators sitting shoulder to shoulder, dissecting case files, interrogating past failures, and mapping out a playbook for the weeks ahead. The objective was simple but ambitious to equip officers on the

Lusaka | July 13, 2026 – The Lusaka High Court has dismissed a renewed application for bail pending trial by Xavier Franklin Chikonkolo Chunga, a Presidential candidate facing charges under the State Security Act and Penal Code. In a ruling delivered on July 10, 2026, High Court Judge, Honourable Mr. Justice L. Mwale, held that the Learned Director of Public Prosecutions’ Certificate of Denial of Bail, issued under Section 123(4) of the Criminal Procedure Code, Chapter 88 of the Laws of Zambia, leaves the Court with no discretion to admit the Applicant to bail. Mr. Chunga’s legal troubles began after he appeared on a pre-recorded popular tell-all podcast known as the ThatZed Podcast, on May 24, 2026. The Episode was scheduled to air days later. During the interview, he allegedly disclosed confidential information obtained through his official duties, a move that has proved costly. On May 28, 2026, he was arrested and charged with seven counts of Communication of Certain

Lusaka | July 10, 2026 – The Lusaka Magistrates’ Court has issued a bench warrant directing the Zambia Police Service to apprehend and produce former Nkana Member of Parliament Binwell Mpundu before the court after he failed to attend scheduled proceedings in a matter in which he is charged with seditious practices. The order was issued by Magistrate Webster Milumbe, who directed that Mr. Mpundu be brought before the court on July 20, 2026 to explain his absence. A bench warrant is a court order authorising law enforcement officers to arrest and bring a person before the court after that individual fails to appear as required. It is issued to enforce compliance with court proceedings and to ensure that the administration of justice is not hindered by an unexplained failure to attend court. The matter has been adjourned to July 20. 2026, when Mr. Mpundu is expected to appear before the court. Mr. Mpundu is facing one count of seditious

Luwingu | 10 July 2026 – The National Prosecution Authority (NPA) has taken a significant step towards expanding access to justice by formally applying for land from the Luwingu Town Council to establish its first permanent district offices in Luwingu.The application was presented by the Deputy Chief State Advocate for Northern Province, Mr. Samuel Simwaka, during a courtesy visit to the Council Secretary, Mr. Gift Kakoma. The proposed offices form part of the Authority’s broader decentralisation agenda aimed at bringing prosecution services closer to communities and strengthening the delivery of justice across Zambia. Mr. Simwaka said establishing a permanent NPA presence in Luwingu would significantly improve the efficiency of criminal prosecutions, reduce delays in the administration of justice, and eliminate the burden placed on members of the public who have long travelled considerable distances to access prosecution services. “For far too long, residents of Luwingu have had to travel long distances to access prosecution services. Establishing a permanent office here

Kasama District, Northern Province | July 10, 2026 – The Learned Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Mr. Gilbert A. Phiri, SC, yesterday paid a courtesy call on the Northern Province Commissioner of Police at the Zambia Police Service Headquarters in Kasama, restating the National Prosecution Authority’s commitment to strengthening collaboration with one of its key criminal justice partners. The Director of Public Prosecutions was accompanied by Deputy Chief State Advocate Ms. Makumba Gwendoline Kashishi from the Office of the DPP (ODPP) and Deputy Chief State Advocate for Northern Province Mr. Samuel Simwaka. The meeting provided an important opportunity for the National Prosecution Authority (NPA) and the Zambia Police Service to deepen institutional cooperation and discuss matters of mutual interest relating to the effective administration of criminal justice, particularly in light of forthcoming national electoral activities. Discussions focused on enhancing collaboration in criminal investigations, improving the timely submission of police dockets, strengthening case management and reinforcing coordination between investigators and prosecutors