Zimbabweans who were apprehended by Zambian authorities deported

Musonda CHOMA writes @SunZambian The Choma Magistrates Court has ordered  the deportation of four Zimbabweans who were apprehended by Zambian authorities as they were leaving the country after attending a funeral in Lusaka. Principal Resident Magistrate Idah Mupemo ordered that George Mudenda 35, Lillian Sikachi 28, Talent Dube 22, and Vimbai Magwiro 33, be deported to Zimbabwe for abrogating  Zambia’s Immigrations and Deportations Act. The four who were separately indicted stood charged with Illegal entry into Zambia contrary to the Laws of this Country. Particulars of the offence are that the four, being Zimbabwean Nationals entered Zambia through Namafulo Border Control without Border passes or valid Passports on December 16, 2020. When they appeared for plea, they all admitted the charges levelled against them without wasting the Courts time and explained that they came to attend a funeral of their beloved one in Lusaka and were on their way back to Zimbabwe. According to the facts dictated by Public Prosecutor Catherine Sakala, the four were apprehended in Batoka Township of Choma following a checkpoint mounted by officers from the Immigrations Department. This was after they failed to prove their Zambian citizenship. Magistrate Mupemo convicted them in their own admission and sentenced each one of them to 12 months imprisonment but suspended the entire sentence for 1 year. She also ordered that they be deported to their country of origin.