Kambwili’s racial case deferred
TRIAL in a case where National Democratic Congress (NDC) leader Chishimba Kambwili is charged with uttering racial remarks against an Indian national failed to take off yesterday, about five months after he denied the charge.
The hearing was scheduled to start yesterday but Lusaka Magistrate Silvia Munyinya adjourned the matter to August 26, 2019 after the State had already arranged video evidence viewing facilities. After calling the case, public prosecutor Noah Mwanza informed Ms Munyinya that the State was ready to proceed with three witness and applied to her to use another courtroom which has the video evidence viewing gadgets. She granted the application and stood down the matter for 20 minutes to ensure the suggested courtroom number three was not being used by another magistrate and allow staff from the information technology (IT) department arrange the computer system used to view video evidence. Later, Mr. Mwanza and an IT specialist organised the facilities and after testing the arrangement, all the gadgets were working and they even did a pre-view of the video, from a ZNBC main news clip, in which Kambwili could be seen and heard telling the Indian national Kumar Verma to go back to his country and leave his job for Zambians. While journalists and Mr. Mwanza were waiting for Ms. Munyinya to move from court eight where Kambwili had remained, the NDC leader and former Roan member of Parliament, his lawyers and supporters were seen leaving the court premises. It was later learnt that Ms. Munyinya had adjourned the matter. Asked the reason for the adjournment, Mr. Mwanza said while he was busy arranging the video evidence viewing facilities, the Magistrate reportedly called Kambwili’s matter and adjourned it on grounds that she could not keep other litigants waiting. In this case, Kambwili is charged with expressing or showing hatred, ridicule or contempt for persons because of race, tribe or place of origin or colour contrary to Section 70 of the Penal Code Chapter 87 of the Laws of Zambia. Particulars of offence are that on February 19, 2019, Kambwili expressed racial remarks on Mr. Verma whom he found operating an earth moving equipment at a road construction site in Lusaka.