The Lusaka High Court will this month sit for an inter parte hearing in an application where Lusaka Mayor Miles Sampa’s former wife Mwika Mwenechanya has accused the city father of failing to pay K7,000 child maintenance, in breach of a court order. Ms Mwenechanya wants the court to cite Mr Sampa for contempt of court for alleged failure to comply with the court order dated April 2019.

In April, the Lusaka High Court ordered the mayor to be paying child maintenance to his daughter with Ms Mwenechanya. But the former wife, an economist, states that Mr Sampa has neglected to comply with the order. She further wants the court to order the Lusaka City Council, who are Mr Sampa’s employers, to be making monthly payments of K7,000 out of the city father’s earnings for maintenance of their daughter.

Lusaka High Court Judge Nicole Sharpe-Phiri has set July 29 this year as date to hear the matter. And a Lusaka Magistrate has warned the State to ensure that it presents witnesses before court at the next sitting in a matter Islamic Supreme Council of Zambia president Suzgo Zimba is accused of aiding illegal immigrants into Zambia. Zimba and two other Somalis are accused of giving false information to an immigration officer and abetting entry of 11 Somalis into Zambia. Zimba, Egeh Hussein and Omar Mohamud are facing 13 counts of giving false information to an immigration officer, harbouring a prohibited immigrant and aiding and abetting illegal immigrants.

The trio is alleged to have acquired immigration visas for 11 Somalis by purporting that they were visiting Zambia to attend an inter-cultural competence course at Kook College of International Studies, when in fact not. It the first count, it is alleged that between January 1, and May 21, this year, the trio acquired immigration visa for Ifrah Hassan purporting that he was visiting Zambia to attend an inter-cultural competence course at Kook College of International Studies, when in fact not.

In counts two up to 12, the three are accused of acquiring immigration visa for 10 Somalis by purporting that they were visiting Zambia to attend an inter-cultural competence course at Kook College of International Studies, when in fact not. In the last count, it is alleged that on the same date, the trio assisted 11 Somalis to illegally enter and remain in Zambia. They all denied the charges. And when the matter came up for trial yesterday, Public prosecutor Jordan Busiku applied for an adjournment because the State was not ready to proceed with trial because witnesses were not before court. “No witnesses are before court. Summons were served.

We will change the mode of service to ensure that the witnesses appear in court,” Mr Busiku said. Defence lawyer Felix Mutale said if the court agreed to grant the adjournment, it should be at the shortest possible time and the State should be warned to ensure that all its witnesses attend the next sitting. Granting the application, Magistrate Kaoma warned the State to ensure that the witnesses are available in the next sitting. “The warning should be taken seriously,” he said, and adjourned the matter to July 30, and August 14, this year, for trial.