28 January 2021 :

Zambian President Edgar Lungu has removed 246 inmates who were on death row and commuted their sentences to life sentences, a government official said on 27 January 2021.
Minister of Home Affairs Stephen Kampyongo said among the inmates includes 225 males and 21 females.
He announced the commuting of the sentences during an event held at Mukobeko Maximum Prison in central Zambia's Kabwe town which was streamed live on Facebook.
He said this brings the clemency of death to life sentences to over 500 after 332 inmates had their sentences commuted in 2015.
He said the commutation of sentences of inmates will help to decongest the section of condemned inmates at the prison which was meant for 50 people but now has over 400 inmates.
The move, he said, was also meant to protect inmates from contracting COVID-19.
Despite the death penalty being on the country's statutes, Zambia has not carried any execution since 1997.

09 June 2021 :

The Lusaka High Court has sentenced Kenneth Makina, a teacher, to death by hanging for the murder of his ex-wife Charity Jikubi, The Mast reported on 9 June 2021.
Makina has also been slapped with a 25-year jail term for wounding his landlord Eustace Kapotwe, a lecturer at Zambia Open University.
Justice Pixie Yangailo has ordered that the sentences will run concurrently effective the date of arrest on 13 February 2019.
This is in matter where Makina was facing two counts of murder and acts intending to cause grievous bodily harm.
On 13 February 2019, Makina murdered Jikubi, a police officer, when she went to collect a wardrobe which she left under his care and with intent to maim, destroy, or disable, caused grievous bodily harm to Kapotwe by shooting him in his right thigh.
In his defense, Makina claimed that he was attacked by Jikubi, her niece, landlord and carpenter when she went to collect the wardrobe.
He said he allowed her to enter his house and dismantle the wardrobe but she later started hurling insults at him.
Makina alleged that he told her that he would not release the wardrobe if she continued insulting him but his landlord charged at him in an attempt to push him in the house and he was gripped with fear that Jikubi would pepper spray him so he shot the landlord in the leg.
He added that due to fear that Jikubi would pepper spray him, he shot her hand twice.
However, justice Yangailo found that the issue of self-defense was an afterthought by Makina because he did not explain what motive his landlord would have had in attacking him as he contradicted himself when he further alleged that his landlord was shielding Jikubi.
Judge Yangailo said postmortem results also contradicted Makina’s testimony as they show that he shot Jikubi on her shoulder and left buttock therefore he was not a reliable witness.
She said the defense of provocation equally failed as none of the witnesses confirmed that Jikubi insulted Makina and based on her findings she found him guilty and convicted him for the alleged offences.
In mitigation, Makina said he had reflected on his actions whilst in custody which would haunt him for the rest of his life.
He asked the court to exercise leniency as he had a chance to reform.
Handing down her sentence, judge Yangailo said the crimes Makina committed had become prevalent in society.
She said Jikubi only wanted to collect a wardrobe and Makina killed her for it.
Judge Yangailo ruled that she observed the convict’s demeanor during trial and noted that he did not look remorseful or hurt that someone who was personally known to him and lived with him died as a result of his actions.
“You gave your evidence in a defiant tone and did not appear to appreciate the gravity of the offences that you faced. This court will be failing in its duty if it does not mete out an appropriate punishment that will send a clear message to society,” she said.
“You (Makina) now have to face the consequences of your actions as the offenses on which you have been convicted carry up to life sentence and a mandatory sentence of death in the absence of extenuating circumstances.”
Judge Yangailo sentenced the convict to 25 years imprisonment with hard labour for the offense of acts intended to cause grievous harm and for the offence of murder, there being no extenuating circumstances, she sentenced Makina to death and directed that he shall be hanged by the neck until pronounced dead.
“May the lord have mercy on your soul; both sentences to run concurrently from the date of arrest,” said judge Yangailo.

24 May 2021 :

A 33-year-old man of Chipili district who allegedly defiled and murdered his three-day old daughter was sentenced to death on 21 May 2021.
Appearing before High Court judge Mary Mulanda in the Mansa high court was Christopher Sunday Chipulu who was charged for two counts of murder and defilement of a child under the age of 16 years contrary to section 200 of the Penal Code Chapter 87 of the laws of Zambia.
In the second count he is charged for defilement of a child contrary to section 138 clause 1 of the penal code Chapter 87 of the laws of Zambia as amended by Act number 15 of 2005 and Act number 2 of 2011.
Facts before the High Court were that on 13 June 2019, Chipulu allegedly murdered and willfully and unlawfully had carnal knowledge of a child under the age of 16 years in Chipili area of Chipili district.
Justice Mulanda said she was satisfied with the evidence that the state prosecutors brought forth before the court saying that the accused acted with malice in his actions.
“I find the accused guilty of murder and defilement of the Child under the age of 16 and I convict him accordingly as charged,” she said.
In the first count of Murder Justice Mulanda sentenced Chipulu to death by hanging until pronounced dead.
And during litigation, State Advocate Nasilele Lubasi said Chipulu is the first offender.
Meanwhile, from the defence counsel of Chipulu, Legal Aid Counsel Adinas Banda asked the court to exercise leniency on the accused.
“He is remorseful in his actions and has taken time to reflect on his misdeeds,” she said.
In passing judgement for the second count, Justice Mulanda said she had heard the litigation from the defence counsel but that the truth is that Chipulu defiled a three -day-old baby who is his child describing his action brutal and evil.
Justice Mulanda went on to sentence Chipulu to life imprisonment with hard labour starting from 13 June 2019, the day of his arrest.
“If you are not happy with the judgment, you can appeal to the higher court within 30 days,” she said to Chipulu.

13 May 2021 :

The Supreme Court of Zambia has upheld a death sentence slapped on a man of Mporokoso who was convicted of robbing a family of money, the Daily Mail reported on 13 May 2021.
The robbery took place on 1 October 2011 in Chiko village in Northern Province after a couple received their payment from the Food Reserve Agency for the maize they sold.
On the night of the robbery, Chishimba Chonya, together with two others unknown, staged a robbery and forcibly collected money from a terrified woman.

12 May 2021 :

The Chipata High Court has sentenced three people to death by hanging, in two different cases, the Mast reported on 12 May 2021.
A 32-year-old man of Sinda district was sentenced to death for killing his mother and a 56-year-old woman and her 28-year-old daughter have been slapped with the same sentence for murdering their daughter in-law.
Lusaka High Court judge Sharon Newa, sitting in the Chipata High Court, jailed John Daka who murdered his mother Faidess Phiri on 21 June 2019 at her garden near the Zambia/Mozambique border.
The court heard that Daka hit his mother on the forehead and mouth with a pounding stick after obtaining charms from Malawi in the hope of becoming rich.
Daka’s grandmother, Violet Phiri, told the court that her daughter was killed at her garden in Sokosi village in chieftainess Nyanje’s area on the Zambia- Mozambique border.
Judge Newa sentenced Daka to death by hanging until pronounced dead after convicting him of the offence.
She also sentenced Joyce Nyasulu and Mainess Manda of Lundazi to death by hanging for murdering their in-law whom they accused of being a prostitute.
Particulars of the offence were that Nyasulu and Manda on 8 October 2019 in Lundazi, murdered Felida Zimba, who was married to Gilbert Manda, the son to Joyce Nyasulu.
The duo murdered Zimba after suspecting her of being a prostitute and that she was found prostituting at a certain guest house in Lundazi.
Judge Newa said the duo committed a very gruesome murder.
She sentenced Nyasulu and Manda to death by hanging until pronounced dead.

04 May 2021 :

A police officer on 4 May 2021 was sentenced to death by hanging for shooting dead a Zambia Air Force employee at Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) offices in Chipata in 2019.
Matondo Mangolwa, 42, a sergeant at Chipata Central Police Station, appeared before Lusaka-based High Court judge Sharon Newa charged with one count of murder.
Facts before the court were that while armed with an AK47 rifle on 4 August 2019, Mangolwa shot dead 42-year-old James Chishimba at ZRA offices, where the officer was guarding the premises around 02:40 hours.
The State called four witnesses to testify against Mangolwa, who only managed to organise two eye-witnesses to defend his case.
It was learnt during trial that Mangolwa shot Mr Chishimba three times after a misunderstanding.

01 May 2021 :

The High Court sitting in Mazabuka, Zambia, on 29 April 2021 sentenced to death by hanging 21-year-old Michelo Siangumba of Mazabuka for the murder of Tina Chingumbe Muyuni Mweene, who was a pupil at Mazabuka Girls Secondary School.
Tina Chingumbe Muyuni Mweene 16, was killed in 2020 and her body was discovered half naked in a drainage within Zambia Sugar Estate with a condom near the scene.
She was attacked on her way back home after escorting her siblings to a near compound on 2 May 2020.
Siangumba was sentenced to death by High Court Judge Kenneth Mulife.